Insatiable
by NeonHorizon
Summary: A quiet ghoul is living semi-peacefully in the 4th ward until a certain raven crashes into her life, throwing it into a terribly exciting chaos. Despite her defect, she's determined to help in whatever way she can. Even if that means interacting with the terrifying ghoul in charge of the 4th ward. OC x Yomo, but also some OC x Uta (maybe). DISCONTINUED: PLEASE SEE "DELICACY".
1. Chapter 1

NeonHorizon: Hn. I wrote this for fun. It's going to follow the characters through the passage of time so they won't stay in the 4th ward for the entire story. Woo. Alright, here's the story.

* * *

Fatigue threatened to take over with every step, but he had to get away. He needed somewhere secluded. Somewhere that he would be safe to rest. He had already walked so far, but he knew that he was not alone. Whether they had been sent by that ghoul with the dyed hair or if they wanted to just take it upon themselves to try to kill him, he was uncertain. All he knew was that they had been following him since his fight ended.

He paused in his steps, fighting the nearly overwhelming urge to just let exhaustion take over. A look over his shoulder showed a figure quickly darting off to the side, hiding around the corner of a building. Sniffing at the air, he became a little confused. It smelled like a female ghoul. He remained standing there for a moment, wondering what she was planning. There was some food in his bag. If she thought that she could attack him and steal it, he would use the rest of his strength to stop her.

The young man continued to stare at the corner of the building and saw a brief glimpse of vibrant pink hair as she tried to peek at him. He was close enough that he could hear a sharp gasp when she swiftly went back to hiding. When it became clear that she was afraid, he frowned and kept walking. Of course, he knew he was still being followed.

There was no stopping. Not while she was still behind him. Even if she was afraid when he turned toward her, she could still attack when he let his guard down. The thought of dropping his food popped into his head, but he quickly banished it. He had fought hard after getting this food so he was going to enjoy it by himself.

When his injuries began to hurt too much and he started to lose his fight to stay conscious, he turned around to face her. His eyes narrowed, mouth set in a firm line as he came face to face with his stalker. Whatever he had been expecting to find, this was certainly not it. The girl looked to be around his age and her appearance was almost as strange as the blond ghoul's from earlier.

She stared back at him with dark grey eyes that were beginning to widen. Loose locks of almost neon pink hair were hanging over half of her face, making it difficult to quite make out her expression. The rest of her hair was pulled up and back into a ponytail. She was wearing strange clothes, much like the other ghouls he had seen in this ward. A shirt that had long sleeves, but only covered the top half of her abdomen. Shorts with a pair of scuffed boots and stockings full of holes.

Meeting her gaze directly, he could see something glimmering there. Something akin to amazement, but just barely veiling fear. He gripped the strap of his bag and curled his other hand into a fist. "What do you want?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

It was hard to place what exactly she felt in this moment. All she knew was that it had been a while since her heart raced this way and she was suddenly very self-conscious about her clothing. Among the other 4th Ward ghouls, it seemed fine. Even normal. This new ghoul was dressed less flashy and the way he looked at her made her wonder if he thought she was strange.

He had a serious look on his face that was making her start to sweat. This boy was around her age. He had pale hair, but his roots matched so she was sure that it must be natural. His clothing looked aged, but it seemed to suit him. From what she saw in the fight, he was very strong. It was part of why she had followed the boy. She wanted to see what he would do next. Now she was facing him and she feared angering him.

"I…was curious…" Miyu muttered, shifting her gaze away from his. _He's still looking at me. I need to just apologize and go home. He's probably going to leave so there's no point in this. I have work to do. So why am I still standing here like an idiot?_ She took a step back, bowing. "Sorry. I didn't mean to inconvenience you."

Turning on her heel, she started to walk away. The girl tried to keep a normal walking pace, resisting the urge to run. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him still standing there behind her. It was clear that he was exhausted and on top of that, he was injured. She shook her head, pushing away the thoughts that threatened to take over, and began to jog in the direction of her home.

Over the next two weeks, Miyu saw him around the ward. He never seemed to look her way, but that was fine. She saw him fight Uta at least one more time over those weeks and the fight seemed even more brutal than the last one. _Still. He's really strong. And his kagune is really…cool._ The girl frowned, biting her lower lip as she studied her work.

She had a rather peculiar skillset for a young ghoul. From an early age, her older brother had been a strict teacher and insisted on her learning skills that were useful. Miyu was multilingual, could read, and could write. For work, she would act as a translator when needed or read and wrote for other ghouls in the 4th Ward. In addition to this, she crafted stamps for them. She made name stamps, stamps for responses, and address stamps.

It was as she was sitting at her table, carving a new stamp for a customer, when a loud thud came from her bedroom. In an instant, her scruffy old dog was on her feet and charging into the room to attack the intruder. Miyu rushed after her, ready to defend her home, but froze in her steps when she saw the person. "Ah! N-Neechan, sit!" The dog had grabbed the boy's arm in her teeth, ready to start shaking, but immediately released him and obeyed the command.

The pale-haired ghoul glared at her for a moment, sitting on the floor against the wall beneath the window. One of the boards that had covered the window seemed to be missing near the bottom and it became evident that he had squeezed in through that small opening. No explanation was offered. No words were even spoken. He stood and pushed past her to get out to the main room.

The pink-haired girl cautiously followed him and was not surprised to see him helping himself to the meat in her refrigerator. It was fresh; a payment from a customer for a particularly high quality set of stamps. She could smell the blood even from across the room. Her heart sank as he shoved the pack of meat into his bag. This disappointment was soon overshadowed by panic. _Was he in another fight with Uta?! Is Uta looking for him? And he came into my house!_ Miyu anxiously toyed with a loose strand of pink hair and turned away from him, but kept her guard up. "A-are you going to leave?"

He was examining a second pack of meat that had been in the freezer, sniffing at the blood-speckled wrapping. "…why should I…?"

Miyu's hands curled into fists and she shook her head. "You…can't be here! If he's looking for you-!" Before she could blink, her back slammed against the wall and she found her wrists held by slightly bloody hands. She glared up into the male ghoul's eyes, her heart beating faster when she realized how close his face was to hers. "Let go."

"This house…is too big for one person," he argued. "Who else lives here?"

"…it's just me and Neechan…" she replied, nodding at the dog. The canine was now standing at his side, her teeth bared and a low snarl leaving her. _If he hurts her, I'll kill him!_ To her surprise, the hold on her wrists loosened a little and he drew back a few inches.

"I'm staying here."

"N-no! Look…if Uta knows that…that the _raven_ was staying here! You don't know! You don't know…how _scary_ it is for a normal ghoul…to try to fight him! You're strong! You don't-!" Her wrists were released and he turned away, looking to the bag he had dropped in the kitchen area.

The pale-haired boy walked to the bag and picked it up, but then turned his gaze to her again. "I'm staying. Call off your dog."

Her frown deepened and she ran a hand through her hair. "Neechan. Heel." The dog went to her side and quieted, but kept her eyes on the boy. The female ghoul settled at the table again, taking up her carving tool and the wooden stamp that she had been working on. _I might as well finish this set. If he just came here from a fight and Uta wasn't finished, it's just a matter of time before he comes here._ Her dark eyes lifted as the boy leaned against the kitchen counter. "…what's your name…?"

"What's yours?" he countered.

"Kurotani Miyu. But…the others just call me "Kurotani"…usually." Again, she was feeling self-conscious in front of this boy. He was watching her intently as she worked, only venturing closer a few steps at a time. When he finally sat across from her, she closed her eyes and sighed. "If you're staying here…tell me your name. Or I'll just call you Raven like everyone else does."

A look of discomfort settled on his face for a moment when she opened her eyes. "…Renji…" he mumbled, lowering his gaze to the stamps. "Why do you call your dog Neechan? She can't be that old."

She absently reached over to rub the dog's ears, a faint smile forming on her lips. "Neechan…is my only family now. My older brother left around three months ago and…this mangy stray wandered in one day. She's really smart and…she's really protective. Perfect for someone living alone in a place like this."

Thankfully, the boy asked no further questions. He did keep his bag close to him, protecting the meat that he had stolen from her fridge. The dog inched closer to his side of the table, her snout almost poking his knee by the time he noticed her. She stared up at him for a long moment and her tail began to wag ever so slightly.

Miyu finished the stamp and held it up in the light, examining it for any possible imperfections. "That meat. It's an organ. Just so you know. In case you don't like organs. I…can only eat organs. It's because of my defect." She picked up another stamp and glanced to her notes, checking the name and the responses that they wanted her to create.

By the time she completed the set, the sun was down and it was fairly late at night. _He's been really quiet. Is it really that interesting to…?_ She peered up at him through her pink hair and raised an eyebrow. He was asleep with his arms crossed in front of him on the table. An anxious twisting began in her stomach as she realized what a vulnerable position he had put her in. It was dangerous for a female ghoul to live alone. Now she had acquired this strange, hopefully temporary, roommate who would undoubtedly attract Uta's attention to her house.

She reached over and hesitantly poked his shoulder. "…Renji…?" He seemed to be in a deep sleep and simply buried his face in the space between his arms. "Renji?" Again, there was no response. Miyu stood and ran a hand through her hair. She went to her bedroom and grabbed the blanket to carefully drape over his sleeping form. The dog gave her a questioning sort of look and she told the dog to lie down. The animal settled at the boy's side, resting her head on his knee.

The pink-haired ghoul double-checked the lock on the door. She checked the windows for other possible spaces where someone could fit through. Duct tape was secured over the space where Renji had slipped in. When she was satisfied that she would definitely hear if someone else broke in, she grabbed a can of coffee from the refrigerator and settled in at the table.

 _I can't sleep tonight_ , she thought as she sipped the cold drink. _Since he first showed up, he's been causing trouble. He's really strong, but…there's something about him. He's exhausted. He's sleeping like he hasn't slept in days._ Miyu began working on some translations for another customer. The ghoul had received a letter in English, but could barely read Japanese so she would need to translate and then simplify the message.

Throughout the night, she forced herself to stay awake. Each sound out in the street made her jump and a few times, she nearly screamed when a noise startled her. The pale-haired ghoul continued to sleep and the dog dozed off beside him. Miyu spared him a glance every so often, making sure that he was still alive. He did not appear wounded, but she had heard of people dying from internal bleeding.

 _Uta is really strong, too. I don't know if he's stronger than this boy though._ She remembered the one time that her older brother had challenged Uta to a fight and winced. Her brother had lost almost all of the fingers on his right hand and his legs had both been broken. _I don't want to have to fight him. I don't know if…I can protect myself…let alone this boy. What will I do if Uta comes here?_


	2. Chapter 2

The morning sun was bright when she stepped outside, her stomach quietly growling. Miyu self-consciously crossed her arms until it went silent and glanced back into her house. Her new roommate had been staying there for three days and had yet to leave the place. At least, not when she would notice. He seemed to stay inside all day when she was out and never left once she was home. The boy was currently sitting at the table, the dog settled beside him with orders to guard the house.

 _What does he do all day?_ She started walking down the cracked sidewalk, moving past homes that were either abandoned or occupied for shady purposes. The area was far from safe for an outsider like Renji. Especially when so much attention had been drawn to him. Miyu, however, had more or less grown up in the neighborhood. Her brother had instilled a fear in their neighbors to insure her safety.

She stopped to deliver some newly carved stamps to a customer, accepting a pack of organs as payment along with a small bottle of blood. _Why the blood?_ The girl paused on a corner, holding up the bottle in the sunlight to examine the deep color of it. _They said it was tasty, but I don't think I've ever gotten blood as payment. Did Aki-nii ever get paid in blood? I guess it might be okay, but it isn't very filling, is it?_

Miyu tucked it away and froze when she locked eyes with someone across the street. Another female ghoul that was around her age. The girl smiled cheerfully and waved. Miyu hesitantly waved back, a little unsettled. As the other girl started to approach, she felt her heart start to pound. She knew that this girl was friends with Uta.

"Kurotani! Look at you, out working this early," the ghoul greeted her.

"Ah…hey, Itori-chan. Yeah…um…just making deliveries and stuff. You're out kind of early, too." She almost winced after making that last remark. _Why did I say that? If I didn't sound suspicious before, now I definitely do!_ She frowned when Itori stepped closer, her eyes on the pink-haired ghoul's bag.

"Just like Hideaki, huh? You get paid in food?"

"Ah…yeah. Well. Aki-nii made arrangements before…you know…"

"I know. He knocked up that girl. It was something like Kiyomi or Hitomi or something like that, right? He knocked her up and took off, didn't he?"

Miyu wanted to look away. It was still a really sore subject, even though it had been months since he left. She knew that looking down or away for even a second would show some sort of fear or guilt. "Well, probably for the best…I'm sure I'd be missed," she joked.

"You probably couldn't survive out there alone, huh? Even if you wanted to go find him. That defect of yours would make it pretty hard to survive, wouldn't it?"

She had to resist the urge as it grew. Instead, she maintained eye contact and laughed. "Yeah, well, that's good for the 4th ward…right?"

Itori's smile grew. "Yeah, you'd be missed if you left. You're so fun to mess with! You really think I was serious just now? I wouldn't really make fun of your defect, Kurotani! Learn how to take a joke! Where are you going now? Another delivery?"

"Y-yeah. Ah. You want to walk with me?" Miyu wanted to walk alone. She really just wanted to walk away and leave Itori behind so the conversation could end. It was awkward. It was kind of painful. She sincerely hoped that Itori would decline, but soon the short-haired girl was strolling alongside her to the next delivery site.

"But, seriously, I can't _imagine_ having a defect like that. You'd probably starve if you were really on your own. You can't hunt. You can't even eat a corpse, right? Because of that defect. So your only options are organs and scraps. You know, if you didn't have this job set up by Hideaki, you'd probably wind up like the Raven."

 _Don't react. Don't react._ Unfortunately, Miyu knew that she tensed when his nickname was spoken because she felt herself relaxing when Itori went silent. "Heh. Yeah, probably. I don't…really think I could steal though…or fight the people I stole from…"

"Yeah, I can't imagine you doing something like that! But you know what they say about the quiet ones!" Itori laughed and shook her head. "Well, I have some stuff to do. Later, Kurotani."

She watched the other girl walk away and frowned to herself. _Did I act weird? Does she know about Renji?_ Miyu glanced over her shoulder, wary of some male ghouls that were looking past her at Itori. Knowing that the girl could take care of herself, she started walking to the next delivery location. _I'll just finish up quickly today._

After the last drop off, she stopped at a vending machine to get some coffee before the walk home. She counted what money she had and frowned. Along with the meat, she also accepted money as payment, but not many ghouls in the 4th ward could offer much. Most of her money came from mail orders for stamps. Ghouls from other wards paid a higher price for such things. She never left the 4th ward so she was not quite sure how they heard about her, but orders came in the mail sometimes.

As she slipped the coins into the machine and pushed the button, she tilted her head. _Should I get Renji something, too? I never see him touch the coffee so maybe he doesn't really like it. Still. It's the thought that counts, right?_ She put in a few more coins and pushed the button again, listening to the cans clink in the machine. Miyu grabbed the cans and jolted forward when she felt a strand of her hair being tugged, biting back a scream.

"This is a cool color," a male voice remarked. "When did you do this?"

A chill ran down Miyu's spine and she slowly turned around, her hair slipping from between his fingers. Red and black eyes studied her from over the rim of a pair of round sunglasses, looking the female ghoul up and down. _No! No way! I should've known he would find out that Renji was living with me! This is it! He's going to-!_

"I haven't seen you in a while. I thought you might've run after Aki." Uta grinned down at her, seeing her struggle to meet his gaze. "What? Did I surprise you?"

"Heh…n-no. I just didn't…um…how long were you standing there?"

He leaned down a little to get closer, reaching out for a strand of hair that hung beside her face. "What? You think I was stalking you?"

"No! You're just…quiet." Miyu felt his fingers run along the length of the lock of hair, his eyes focused on the neon pink color and the way the light reflected off of it. "I'm sorry, but…I need to go somewhere so…"

"I'll walk with you," he decided, still smiling. "Where are you going?"

 _I can't go home. There is absolutely no way that I can go home with him following me. He'll be expecting it anyway, right? I don't even know what kind of condition Renji is really in so I don't know if he can even fight right now!_ Swallowing her feeling of unease, she managed a half-smile. "I was going to a friend's house."

"Sounds fun. Who is it?" The second that she started naming another young female ghoul, he seemed to completely lose interest and changed the subject. "I bet Aki'd be mad that you were walking around alone, huh? He was really overprotective, even for a big brother, wasn't he?"

Miyu's hair was released and she rubbed the back of her neck, tucking the two cans of coffee into her bag. "Yeah, well…I guess maybe a little." She started walking and, true to his word, the blond ghoul walked next to her.

"He's gone now though. So what're you doing? You look pretty skinny."

She blushed faintly, embarrassed when she realized that he was looking at her exposed midriff. "I'm just surviving like everyone else."

"Doesn't your stomach get cold like that?" With no further warning, he reached over and prodded her flat, pale stomach with a fingertip. Both of them heard her stomach growl loudly and his smile grew. "Remember when I fought Aki? Do you know why we were fighting?"

Unfortunately, Miyu had no idea. It was never divulged to her why her brother had challenged Uta that day. "He…never said why." She was glad when he tucked his hands into his pockets, but the fondness in his eyes made her uneasy.

"I'm taking some other guys somewhere tonight and I want you to come with me." Uta turned to her, slipping his sunglasses down a little so his eyes met hers directly. "I know that you've hiding been something from me. Tonight, I'm going to figure out what it is."

The color began to drain from her face. "Wh-what?"

"You're not like Aki. I can tell. He was pretty weak, wasn't he? I've never seen your kagune, Miyu. So tonight, you're gonna show me what it looks like! I want to see how strong you actually are and what you're hiding!"

 _I don't know if this is worse than him knowing about Renji or not. What is he planning tonight?_ She almost tripped in her distraction, but an arm crossed in front of her to steady her again. "Th-thanks."

"Tonight. If you're not outside your house waiting-"

"Can I meet you at the convenience store instead?" she forced herself to ask. He raised an eyebrow and pushed his sunglasses back up, looking perplexed. "Neechan. She doesn't like strangers. I don't want her to bark at you."

Uta's smile returned. "That scruffy old guard dog, huh? You still have her? She didn't run away yet?"

"She's good protection," the girl replied. They were nearing the home of one of her friends. As protective as her brother had been, there were a couple of girls that she spoke with sometimes. _I just need to go in and wait a little while. Then I'll head home._

"She's probably stronger than Aki was," he commented.

The door to the house opened, as if her friend had sensed her approach, and the girl began frantically waving. A wide grin spread across her face, a blush rushing to her cheeks. "Heeeey, Uta! Taking care of Kurotani until her brother comes back?!" the girl called.

Miyu bit the inside of her cheek, wanting to glare at her friend. "I have to go." She started forward, but felt a tug at her jacket sleeve. A look toward him showed him holding out his free hand expectantly. "Um…?"

"I want the second can of coffee that you bought." He stared back at her, a frown slowly taking form on his face. "What? Was it for someone else?"

The way that he looked at her now sent a chill down her spine. She reached into her bag without breaking eye contact and pressed the cold can of coffee into his hand. "…sorry…"

The frown disappeared, replaced with a slight smile. He opened the can and took a long sip. "Thanks." His eyes briefly shifted to the friend and saw her blush intensifying. Leaning down to Miyu's ear, he knew how it must look to her friend. "Don't forget about tonight."

"Y-yeah. Right. See you tonight." She watched him go and quickly entered her friend's house. Her heart was racing and she more or less collapsed to her knees when she was safely in the other girl's room. _He wants to see my kagune?_ The skin of her lower back began to feel very cold as goose bumps rose there. Miyu's defect meant not hunting so she rarely used her kagune. Those that had seen her kagune had seen it when she was younger and unable to control herself from using it in fights.

"I can't believe you were out walking with _Uta_! He's so _cool_! What did he say? Did he say anything about me?" her friend asked.

"What…? Um. No. I mean, he didn't really talk that much about anything besides Aki-nii." She knew that there was no way that she could tell her friend about his plans for that night. It was already terrifying without drawing a potential audience to whatever might happen. _I'm going to die. I'm probably going to die tonight. I'll have to figure out who can take care of Neechan and…_

"You're so lucky though! He's the strongest ghoul in the 4th ward, Kurotani! Do you even-?! Huh?" The other girl was seated near her and leaned over, sniffing. She closed the distance between them, now loudly sniffing at Miyu's bright pink hair. When she pulled away, she raised an eyebrow and blushed faintly. "Hey. I thought you didn't have a boyfriend or anything. Why do you smell like you've been hanging out with a guy? And it doesn't smell like Uta. What's going on, Kurotani?"

She gripped the strap of her bag tightly and was on her feet in an instant. "I don't know, but…I have to go. I forgot to walk Neechan today."

"You and that mangy stray. Okay, I guess. Talk to you later."


	3. Chapter 3

"You're going out?"

Miyu paused at the door and looked over her shoulder. She saw the pale-haired boy watching her from the kitchen. "Yeah…I've got stuff to do. Why?" There was no way that she could tell him what was really happening. That she may or may not be walking off to face her death. With any luck, if she did die, it would be quick and he would take care of the dog for her.

Renji frowned, his puzzlement clear. "…you never go out this late…"

"It's just…something I have to do. I'll be back." She saw him look away once more and went outside before he could stop her. _I can't let him know. It doesn't really concern him, does it? If I'm dead, he can have the house to himself._

Locking the door behind her, she felt a gaze upon her back. Her hand shook as she tucked the key into her jacket and turned around. Uta was watching her from the sidewalk and tilted his head when he saw her start walking toward him. "Um…I thought I was meeting you a-at the convenience store," she commented.

He stared down at her for a moment, a smile growing across his face. "I'm excited; I didn't want to wait."

She had felt uneasy in the daytime interacting with him, but now she was really anxious. The darkness highlighted his dyed hair to make it look even lighter and his sunglasses sat low, making his red and black eyes more visible. Miyu tucked her hands into her pockets, following him as he began to walk. "…where are we going…?"

"I want to see how strong you are so I'm taking you somewhere special." Enthusiasm was clear in his voice as he spoke, his smile unwavering. Running a hand over his pale blond hair, he turned to face her as he walked backwards. "Are you nervous?"

"Y-yeah, a little. I…haven't used my kagune in a while so…" Miyu scratched at her wrist. They were walking through a dangerous area soon and she could feel eyes on her. The ghouls here were different from her customers. The ones that Miyu usually worked for were ghouls that were friendly and almost like humans. These ghouls were far from welcoming. If she was not with Uta, she was sure that she would have been attacked on sight.

After a while, they reached a nonresidential area. The buildings here were large and appeared to be abandoned. No other ghouls were on the street and it was fairly quiet, with the exception of footsteps. Miyu turned to Uta, wanting to ask what was happening, but he was gone. Her dark grey eyes widened in disbelief as she realized exactly what he had planned. The color drained from her face as she heard voices and saw two silhouettes moving around the corner of a building.

A flashlight's beam shone on her and she lifted a hand, trying to shield her eyes. The girl's heart was racing as her gaze focused on the two figures and caught sight of the cases that they carried. _No…no way! This can't be happening! It was a trap?!_ She took a step back as the two men stared at her.

"What the hell? A girl? You think she's a ghoul?"

"Look at that hair. Probably just a punk wannabe that's going to get herself killed out here. Hey, kid! Hands up where we can see them!"

Miyu knew that Uta would offer no help. He wanted to see her fight these men with her kagune, but she was reluctant. _If I can just run, then maybe-! But if I run, they'll just go deeper into the ward and start killing, right? He knew that I'd do this, didn't he? How long did he know about my claws?_ She watched the two men as her kakugan activated, her eyes changing to red and black. Miyu took on a fighting stance and saw the cases open.

As she ran forward to stop them, the pink-haired girl gritted her teeth and tried to focus on how to swiftly and peacefully disable them. The thought of killing them made her stomach turn. The reason why she could only eat organs was that humans did not register as food in her mind. They looked too much like ghouls in shape so feeding off a corpse was impossible. Killing a human was the same as killing another ghoul. This was her defect.

 _If I can just stop them before-!_ Something swung hard into her chest, knocking her back several feet. She pressed a hand to her ribs, grimacing in pain, and looked to the two men. The one on the right wielded some sort of blade, but the one on the right held something resembling a spiked club almost. She knew that she had to take it seriously now. Silently thanking her brother for supplying her with half-shirts, she let her kagune out.

 **Shift P.O.V**

When he saw the quinque hit her in the chest, he felt a tinge of disappointment. He had anticipated seeing her fight and kill the two doves, but if she died right away then it would be boring. Uta was sure that her brother had shielded her for a reason.

Watching her from a rooftop above, he saw her stand again and face the swiftly approaching men. He leaned forward in anticipation, expecting to see her either reveal wings like her brother's or simply be murdered. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the bright crimson ripple of her kagune emerging from her lower back. Four appendages burst forth and he realized why her brother had been so adamant about hiding her abilities. She was a treasure.

The two kagune at the bottom stiffened and then pushed her forward, giving her a boost of speed. The top two kagune poised to strike and soon she swiped, sending the two men flying backwards. Miyu's neon pink hair was picked up by the cold night wind, blowing around in chaotic disarray as she glared at her opponents. He smiled as she braced herself for another attack.

Kurotani Hideaki was significantly different from his little sister. His kagune came in the shape of wings, but they were small and weirdly formed. He attacked with little preemptive thought, letting his emotions dictate the way he fought. The older ghoul had actually proved a weak, boring opponent. However, despite his lack of skill or strength, he had done everything in his power to keep his sister safe.

Down below, Miyu hesitated to attack again. She remained in place, her kagune poised to strike as she examined her opponents. Uta saw the men approaching her again and felt his excitement growing. He wanted to see her display her full strength. Now that he knew what her kagune was, he knew that she had the potential to be lethal.

She leaned back, her kagune taking her weight and moving backwards over the ground like an extra sets of legs. It almost reminded him of a spider and he found himself leaning over the ledge just a bit more for a better look. _Like a spider ready to strike_ , he thought. The two men rushed at her and, much to his disappointment, she fought with her fists and legs rather than her kagune. A punch was delivered to one man's face, her boot coming in contact with the other man's chest. Though her strength was impressive, pushing them back several feet, Uta really wanted to see her use her kagune to kill them both.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu panted, pain blooming in her chest and arms. She was using a lot of restraint. She did not want to be a murderer. The female ghoul had not killed since she was much younger and that had been an accident. This would be no accident and she knew it. This would definitely be considered a deliberate slaughter.

Blood poured down the side of her face as the club-shaped quique grazed the tender flesh just above her left eyebrow. The spikes tore through her flesh like tissue paper and she recoiled, her kagune moving on instinct. She was pushed back to her feet as they rose, crossing in front of her to try to ward off another blow. At the same time, the man's partner tried to come at her from the side. One of her bright crimson appendages swatted the man away, sending him falling onto his back on the cement.

 _I have to get away, but I need to do something to stop them! If I don't, they'll just come into the residential area and start killing the others!_ Her sharp reflexes forced her upper left kagune to move subconsciously and dart forward. When it drew back again, human blood splattered the front of her shirt and she stared in horror at what she had done. He crumbled to his knees, hacking up blood and clutching the hole in his chest.

The other man shouted in outrage and ran at her side, but her kagune moved again. Turning, she saw her appendage smack him across the face and heard the cracking sound of bone as he hit the ground. _Fine. Fine. Just this once. Just to end this._ Another kagune lifted and stabbed through his abdomen. She clapped her hands over her ears to try to drown out his screams and shook her head.

Miyu was so preoccupied with this that she failed to notice the third man until it was too late. A quique was thrust through her right leg and the girl shrieked in agony. Blood gushed from her thigh and she used her kagune to pull herself free. They lifted her off her feet, turning her in time to see a hand thrust through the dove's chest from behind. Red and black eyes met hers, a grin forming on the pale face behind the man.

Uta pulled his arm back and let the man's body drop onto the ground. He lifted his hand, dragging his tongue along his fingers and collecting the human blood. "You were holding back," he spoke up, excitement clear in his voice. "You won't hold back with _me_ though, right?"

Her blood ran cold as she saw the look in his eyes. Pure exhilaration. "I-I can't…"

"You won't fight me?" He took a step toward her and saw her move back. It was now that he noticed her trembling and he knew that it was not just from blood loss. The grin on his face spread and he started forward quickly, tangling his fingers in her bright pink and yanking her head forward so her face was inches from his. "You're still hiding something. You're keeping a secret from me," Uta stated, his excitement growing.

"I'm not…I wouldn't keep secrets," she protested, beginning to panic. Her heart was racing now, even faster than when she fought the doves. The boy's face drew closer to hers and he tilted his head. _This is it! I have to do something! I didn't want to fight him, but-!_ Her top two kagune lifted and swiped at the boy, driving him back. Clearly delighted by her sudden willingness to fight, Uta ran at her to attack.

 **Shift P.O.V**

He heard the click of the door's lock, followed by it opening. It slammed shut by something falling against it and it made him open his eyes. Renji frowned, listening to the door lock again and wondering why she was being so loud. It was strange enough for her to go out so late, but she was normally quiet when she came home. He slipped the blanket down a little, peering out at her silhouette as she crossed the dark room to her bedroom.

When she was out of sight, he settled in again. The male ghoul was in his usual sleeping spot in the corner of the main room, using what he suspected had been her brother's pillow and blanket. It smelled vaguely of another male ghoul anyway. He tried to push that thought aside, intending to fall asleep again, but then he heard a loud thud.

In an instant, he was hurrying to her room and found the girl passed out on the floor. He grimaced, debating what he should do. She was clearly unconscious. Settling on helping her, Renji turned her onto her back and lifted her onto her bed. There was blood leaking from the corner of her mouth, bruises on her cheek and neck. A bloody cut was on the left side of her face and he could see that her right thigh had been stabbed through.

 _What did you do?_ A heavy feeling formed in the pit of his stomach as he looked down at her. _What were you doing tonight? Who did this to you?_ The blood on the front of her shirt gave off a ghoul scent mostly, but there were hints of human blood. He frowned and drew her blanket over her when he saw her shivering. Turning his back on the girl, he walked back to the main room.

The dog had seized the opportunity to steal his blanket and was now curled up comfortably where he had been sleeping. His frown deepened and he grabbed his pillow before the dog could claim that as well. He went to the doorway of Miyu's room and saw her still shivering beneath the blanket. A frustrated sigh left him, his eyes shifting away from the girl for a moment. He remembered the night that he had entered her house. He was injured and he had passed out, but she let him sleep and even seemed to want to help him.

Approaching the side of the bed, he grudgingly settled next to her and used his own body heat to warm her. The trembling was still there, but it was far less intense and her expression turned from pained to relaxed. Renji closed his eyes and turned away from Miyu, trying once more to fall asleep.

It was proving difficult. _The wound on her leg is from a quinque. She was fighting investigators. Where did she go tonight?_ His eyes snapped open as the bed shifted and he felt her grip his shirt. The girl buried her face into his back, still asleep, and pressed close against him. He slowly closed his eyes again, ignoring the rapid beating of his heart.


	4. Chapter 4

"Did you see her face when she killed that dove?" No answer came, but he had not expected one; he was simply thinking out loud as he tended to his wounds. A smile formed on his lips as he remembered the expression she wore when the human's blood splattered her shirt. "She's interesting, right?"

"She's scary," one of the other ghouls commented.

"A scary chick," the other agreed.

Uta leaned back, looking up at the two as he paused in bandaging his arm. "Scary? Well…maybe a little. If you're weaker than her, you're probably afraid of her. Do you think Aki was scared of her?"

One of the two grunted. "Hideaki was weak."

"He _was_ pretty weak. That's why I was so surprised. She really came after me when I pushed her. I thought I'd lose an arm." He held up his hand and grinned at the oozing wounds. "Look at this. What do you think?"

Eyebrows furrowed, one of the bigger ghouls looked at the sloppy wrapping and the blood soaking through. His eyes went over the rest of Uta's injuries and he frowned. "She hurt you. Needs to be taught a lesson like her brother."

The boy wanted to argue, but stopped himself. The thought of fighting her again was exciting, though he would need time to heal. If his own injuries were painful, he knew that hers must be worse. Fighting her while she was weak would be no fun. "She's always so quiet. Don't you just want to make her scream?"

"Let us take care of her."

"No, I'll do it." He looked to his bleeding wounds again and grinned. "I want to have some fun with her." Seeing them about to protest, he shook his head. "I don't really want her to _die_. I just want to hear her scream."

 **Shift P.O.V**

The ghoul was female. Middle-aged. She stared down at the pink-haired teen, balancing a crying toddler on her hip and attempting a smile. "Kurotani-chan, you have a friend with you today? Is he your helper?"

Miyu casually looked over her shoulder at the figure lingering near the street. He caught her gaze with his for a moment before she looked back to her customer. "Ah…yes. My helper. Takahashi-san, I have your order ready…three name stamps...and a translated English to Japanese document." She rummaged in her bag for the folder containing the document and frowned slightly. "Takahashi-san…um…where is your husband?"

The woman quirked an eyebrow and her smile faded. "My husband? He went to look for work a few weeks ago. Why?"

With a sick, twisting feeling in her stomach, she handed over the folder and explained that the documents were divorce papers from the woman's husband. When she turned to leave, she winced at the intense pain that filled her body. Miyu felt guilty for having to give the woman the bad news, but worse than that guilt were her injuries from the night before. As she limped down the sidewalk to make her next delivery, she felt her new shadow watching her. She heard his footsteps behind her and almost laughed. _I'm pathetic. Wasn't it just a few weeks ago when he was injured and I was following him? Why did we swap roles?_

To her alarm, he suddenly appeared at her side as she approached the next customer's door. "Renji…what are you doing?" She adjusted her bag strap, frowning to herself. Further surprising her, he reached over to knock and then stepped back a little so he was behind her again. _Why is he doing this? He hasn't left the house since he broke in and now he's following me around._

The door opened and an elderly woman greeted her with a broad smile. "Well! What do we have here? You have a new friend, Kurotani-chan? He's a bit grim-looking, don't you think?" The business transaction took place; a set of new stamps and ink traded for some organ meat and coins. Peering down at the pink-haired girl, she nodded. "You want a snack for the road, Kurotani-chan? You look a little weak. I know! I have _just_ the thing! I'll be right back!"

When the old woman disappeared back into the house, Miyu glanced back at Renji. "Why did you follow me?"

His gaze remained on her, narrowed as if to challenge her. "You're weak." He saw her frown deepen and shook his head. "I mean that you're injured. I'm just…repaying the favor." A small, wrapped item was handed to Miyu and he saw her hesitantly slip it into her pocket. He was silent until they were on their way home. "You followed me. Why?"

She bit her lower lip and shrugged. "I guess…maybe I think that you're interesting. You're strong…you're not from around here…and you were injured. I think that I wanted to make sure you were alright." Shaking her head, she ran her fingers through her neon pink locks. "I'm fine, so…just go home. I know that's what you want."

Renji's expression softened slightly upon hearing her explanation. "I'm staying." Miyu opened her mouth to argue and he gave her a stern look. "I'm not letting you walk alone. You have broken ribs…your leg is still bleeding and your face is messed up. If someone wanted to finish you off-"

"I can handle myself," she stated coldly. Miyu shoved her hands into her pockets and felt the small package from the old woman. She carefully drew it from her pocket, curious as to what it was. _She called it a snack so it's probably a scrap of something. Can I eat it though? Is it a slice of an organ?_ Unwrapping it, she winced.

He looked down at the "snack". It was a human ear, still bloody from being torn off of a human's head. "…you can't eat it…can you?"

"No." Her hands trembled as she wrapped it up again. "My brother…used to mash food like this for me…so I could eat it without realizing what it was."

"Kurotani! Hey, over here!" a female voice called.

Miyu winced and quickly stepped in front of Renji in a very terrible attempt at hiding him. "G-good morning, Itori-chan."

The other girl smirked, looking past her at the boy. "What's this?"

"Nothing! It's not…anything important. Um…so…like…"

Itori's smirk grew as Renji looked away. "Okay, okay. I believe you; it doesn't even look that interesting, to be honest. I'm glad that I found you though, Kurotani. I heard that you and Uta really went at it last night!"

The pink-haired girl tensed and coldly met Itori's gaze. "He didn't…?"

"He didn't give me all the details, but I heard enough. I didn't take you for a _biter_ , Kurotani. I always figured you'd be a little more reserved. It sounds like it was pretty intense though, huh? So? Are you going again or-?"

"Miyu, I'm going home." Renji turned in the direction of her house, giving the two female ghouls a brief nod.

She saw a faint hint of color on his face, a slightly surprised look to his eyes. _What's wrong with him?_ Turning back to Itori, she felt a very small smile growing on her lips. "I hate to admit it, but…it was kind of exciting to fight. Scary though."

"Yeah, I'd imagine! Uta's pretty tough! He isn't the leader of the 4th ward just because he looks cool! He wasn't wearing those weird sunglasses during the fight, right?" She snickered and started walking, expecting Miyu to follow.

The other girl kept pace with her, trying to hide an amused smile. "No. He wasn't wearing them when we fought," she replied. "Um…about that boy…with the pale hair…"

Itori raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "What boy? I mean, it's not like I care what you're doing with that guy anyway. Or like I didn't know. You had a guy's scent on you yesterday, too. I'm not going to ask any questions, but I can't say the same for _other_ people."

"…other people…?" They turned a corner near the convenience store and Miyu's heart skipped a beat. The last person that she wanted to see was sitting perched on a fence post, absently chewing on something flesh colored. When he saw the two girls, he smiled and waved. "Itori-chan…what-?"

"C'mon! How can you say 'no' to that face?" Itori taunted. She hooked an arm through Miyu's and started towing her over to the fence.

It had been true that the fight was exciting, but she had only been able to see it that way after she woke safe and alive in her own bed. Even now, she could recall the terror that had coursed through her veins during their battle. She was certain that if Renji had not helped her, she would be bedridden for the day. He had helped her wrap the wound on her leg and put bandages on her various cuts. Realizing this brought forth the realization that she must also smell more strongly like the male ghoul. It made her hesitate to get closer to Uta.

"Why do you look so scared? He's not going to bite," the other girl teased, laughing.

"Well, I might bite a little," he protested quietly. Looking down at Miyu, he grinned and bit down harder on the severed finger hanging from his mouth. He caught the half that fell out and held it out to her, watching her face contort in disgust. "What? You don't want it? It's just a little piece."

"You really couldn't survive on your own, huh, Kurotani?" Itori leaned against the fence, her amusement fading. "I can't imagine what that must be like. I mean, seriously? What if you did have to go off on your own? You'd probably starve, right?"

"She won't leave the 4th ward," Uta pointed out. "You like it here, don't you? Isn't it exciting? You even helped get rid of some doves last night."

"Hey, you didn't mention that part! That's pretty cool, Kurotani!"

"Um…I need to get home…I have work to do," Miyu tried to speak up.

"What?! No way! Take the rest of the day off! You never hang out with us!"

Uta leaned down, his face drawing close. A bit of human blood drizzled from the corner of his lips and he quickly licked it up. The intensity of his red and black eyes watching her from other the rim of his sunglasses made the girl take a step back. His grin widened and he reached out, grasping her right arm. "Hang out with us."

She forced herself to meet his gaze directly, wanting to show that she was strong. Although he clearly knew she was nervous. She destroyed any hope of looking tough when she stepped away from him. "Um…well…I need to put some food away so-"

"Okay." Uta hopped down from his seat, his hold on her arm not loosening. "I want to see your house. Right, Itori?"

"Yeah! I never got to see the inside because of Hideaki so let's go!"

"I want to see your dog, too," the boy continued.

"A-are you sure? She sometimes bites strangers." Miyu tried to subtly pull her arm away, but he gave her a puzzled look that made her stop.

"So where'd Hideaki go anyway?" Itori asked, walking on her other side.

"…I don't know…he just left…" she admitted.

Uta kicked at a small chunk of loose cement, watching it skip over the sidewalk ahead of them and into the road. "He was pretty weak though."

"Huh? Well, yeah. He was kinda _reckless_ , too, right?" Itori agreed.

Miyu was beginning to sweat a little at the thought of Uta and Itori entering her house. She knew that Renji was going to be there so a fight was undoubtedly going to break out. Of course, Uta was still looking fairly ragged after their battle. A look over showed that he seemed to have tried to bandage his own wounds because the wrapping was sloppy and loose. Blood was leaking through and the bandages were probably doing more harm than good at this point. _Can I beat him if I have to fight him again so soon?_

She tensed when she felt his stare directed at her and saw his face turned toward her. The boy beamed, but the smile was the most terrifying thing that he could have showed Miyu in that moment. Her heart started to race the second that those smiling lips parted and he leaned down to her ear.

"I bet ravens don't fly so well with their wings clipped."

A chill ran down her spine and she tried again to get her arm free. Itori gave her a curious look, genuinely confused. It appeared that the other girl had not heard his strange threat. Miyu looked from Itori back to Uta and felt his hold tighten on her arm. She was tugged closer and he leaned down, pushing her hair behind her ear. Fingers rested gently on her cheek, but she could feel the unspoken warning.

"You look pretty pale. You should probably eat something, huh? Want me to get you a snack or something, Miyu?"


	5. Chapter 5

Time was limited so he knew that he had to move fast. Thankfully, no one seemed to be around. He sifted through the meat in the refrigerator, trying to find something that she could eat. The wounds would never heal at the rate that she was eating. She had no food in the fridge and if she had to fight again then she would surely die.

With no care for the ghouls that actually owned the meat, he tore open wrapped packs until he found something that he vaguely recognized as a liver. It seemed to be the only organ in there and he had found it near the very back. The smell it gave off was not the delicious scent of fresh meat. If anything, this was probably the poorest quality piece of food that he could have grabbed. A look at the rest of the options made his frown deepen.

 _She can't eat it if it looks like it came from a person_ , he reminded himself. All of the other scraps were better quality and seemed to be fresher, but it was immediately obvious that they were human body parts. Renji considered mangling them to be unrecognizable, but then wondered if they would still be edible after that or how he could even safely accomplish it without drawing attention.

He looked toward the door, listening closely for any approaching footsteps. It was silent outside of the room. _I can fight them off. I just don't want them following me back. She can't fight when she's injured like that._ The extent of her injuries really bothered him. A few of the cuts were obviously from a quinque; they were very precise and clean. The puncture to her leg was also human-inflicted. It was the broken bones and myriad of bruises that made him puzzled.

Investigators were cruel sometimes, but breaking bones in that way seemed unlikely for them. At least three of her ribs were broken and he suspected that there was a break somewhere in her right forearm as well. Most of the bruises and scrapes could be excused as being acquired from a fall or from a struggle. Some were a little too deep. Some of her bruises were almost black in color and a few of her cuts were rather jagged. _She didn't just fight doves last night_ , he determined. It was as he thought this that he picked up on a presence in the doorway. Renji slowly turned his head, maintaining a calm and collected expression as his heart pounded in his chest.

The other ghoul smiled and stepped into the room. He looked from Renji to the open refrigerator and tilted his head. "Helping yourself again, Mister Raven? You really like our food, huh?"

Deciding to ignore him, the pale-haired ghoul returned to scouring the fridge for something that Miyu could eat. _There has to be something. I'll just grab whatever looks the least recognizable and see if she'll eat it._ He heard footsteps cross the room and saw the blond lean against the wall nearby, watching him.

"It's kind of funny. You don't look very hungry. Were you just bored?"

Renji tucked a small piece of food into his bag and spared the other ghoul a glance. It was meant to be a simple glance to see what sort of expression he was wearing. Instead, it turned into a full on stare as he saw how ragged the blond looked. "What…happened to you?" he blurted out.

"Hm?" He had started to absently toy with a lock of hair that had come free from his headband and paused to grin at Renji. "You're not the only one that can keep up with me," he replied. There was excitement in his tone and his eyes took on a daydreaming sort of look to them. "I never expected her to be that strong, but she really went all out. I can't wait to do it again."

Remembering Miyu's injuries, he frowned and bowed his head. "What're you talking about? Who else is strong?"

"You want to hear about her, Mister Raven? You're interested in her?" He saw Renji nod and hopped up onto the counter. "Before I took charge of the ward, these two kids came to the 4th ward. The Kurotani siblings. The big brother was really protective of the girl so I never really got to talk to her until yesterday. I guess she's kind of scared of me." His smile grew and he leaned toward the pale-haired boy. "But last night I got her to fight me and she's ten times stronger than her brother was! It was almost as exciting as _our_ fights!"

 _She's that strong?_ Thinking about the girl, sitting at her table and carving her stamps, he could hardly picture her actually fighting anyone. Looking over the injured ghoul near him, his frown deepened. "I don't believe you." He started for the door and heard the boy hop down to follow him.

"Aki was pretty weak so I wasn't even expecting much from her, but she's a real treasure. A rinkaku. And she moves like a spider. I actually thought I'd lose an arm last night. Her brother couldn't even scratch me when I fought him. He probably couldn't have made it out in the world on his own."

Renji paused in his steps and looked over his shoulder at the blond. He was grinning and stepped closer, leaving just inches between them. A hand was placed on Renji's shoulder as his face drew close. "Where is he?"

"He wouldn't have made it out in the world. He was even lower than a scavenger. He didn't have her mental defect, but he was too weak. You know…" The boy leaned up, sniffing audibly. "She has a pretty particular smell. I don't smell her that often, but it's all over you, Mister Raven. So where've you been lately?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

"That hair color is pretty cute. Where'd you get it?" Itori leaned back against the edge of the bed, absently petting the dog that was settled next to her on the floor.

"Um…my friend. Her mom works in a salon so…she brought the color home and did it for me." Miyu grimaced, remembering the ordeal that had taken place. The food that she had needed to pay the woman with. The pink hair color was supposed to make her look more like a punk. Tougher. So no one would mess with her now that her brother had gone.

The pink-haired ghoul was currently in the process of selecting a movie for them to watch. There was a small television set up in her room, placed on a stand against the wall across from her bed. Itori had suggested hanging out at Miyu's house, but then Uta left with the excuse that he needed to do something. _Is he going to come back? It doesn't seem like he wants to fight, but every time I look at him, I remember when he almost killed Aki-nii._ The screen flashed with an image and she jolted back. The movie began to play, making her sigh in relief. "Got it. Sorry for the wait."

"You know, this dog isn't that bad. People were talking like she was some kind of flea-bitten mongrel that was missing hair, but she's just kind of bristly."

Miyu sat beside Itori on the floor and shrugged. "She was when she wandered in," she confessed. "I had to save up…bought some flea shampoo and a dog brush…" Rubbing the dog's ears, she half-smiled. "Neechan, you like Itori-chan?"

The movie played for a while before Itori sniffed and gave Miyu a mischievous grin. "Hey, Kurotani, you didn't tell me you had a guy over last night! So was it the _Raven_? I saw him walking around with you earlier."

The other girl slouched a bit, toying with a strand of her long pink hair. "…I mean…I know him, but it's not like we're friends…"

"It's cute though! Hideaki never let you hang out with boys, did he?"

"Not really. Um…well…it's not like he was worried because they were boys, but…more like he didn't want to risk me getting hurt."

"He _really_ didn't like Uta though, huh? Remember that fight? I'm still surprised he didn't get killed! He probably shouldn't have said anything to Uta."

"Itori-chan…what exactly happened to start that fight?"

The girl was about to answer when they both heard the front door open. Footsteps nonchalantly crossed the main room and before either of them could react, the blond boy entered the room and sat on Miyu's bed. She felt her pulse speed up and she decided not to ask any more questions for the time being.

"Hey, Uta! Come sit with us! Come pet Neechan!"

"It's more comfortable up here," he argued, leaning forward. His red and black eyes locked onto the back of Miyu's head as he settled in. Her head was bowed and he could see her hands moving as she nervously fidgeted with her hair. Uta shifted onto his stomach and crawled to the end of the bed. "What're you doing, Miyu-chan?"

"Ah. Nothing. I just…don't like other people being on my bed," she muttered. In the reflection on the television screen, she could see him looking over at Itori. The other girl was preoccupied with the film now, watching the slasher chase their prey with a chainsaw. An arm suddenly went around the front of Miyu's chest, pulling her back so she straightened. A chin rested on her shoulder and she could see his red and black stare from the corner of her eye. "What are you-?"

"Someone else was on here before me," Uta protested. "I can be here for a little while, can't I?" She reluctantly nodded. "So what is this?"

"It's an American movie, right? It looks kinda old, but it's kinda funny," Itori spoke up. She smothered a laugh as one of the protagonists tripped and was nearly slaughtered by the masked murderer. "This is _great_! Where did you get this anyway, Kurotani?"

"My brother…liked collecting movies. I think my father did that sort of thing, too. Sometimes Aki-nii would talk about a movie that our father showed us when we were little, but…I could never remember that far back." Miyu felt Uta's hand on her shoulder, his fingertips gently resting there. She was trying not to think about how close his face was to hers or how warm his arm felt through the sleeve of his shirt. _Why am I so nervous? This doesn't even feel like the normal nervousness I get around him. This doesn't feel like fear._

When the movie ended, Itori and Uta left. Miyu was not alone for long to even think about what had transpired that day. Renji returned as soon as the others were out of sight. She was sitting at the table in the main room when he arrived and she gave him a curious look as he moved to set down his bag. "Ah…I wondered where you went."

"I…had an errand." He sat nearby and rummaged in his bag. Setting down a wrapped chunk of something on the table, he frowned. "I know that you need to eat so you can heal…but this was the best I could find. You probably can't even look at it, but you need to try, okay?" Renji unwrapped it and saw the color drain from her face immediately. "What?"

"That's…a human tongue." Her stomach turned as she looked down at it. The body part looked like it had been sliced out by the root and tidily packed in the paper.

"It's technically an organ, right?" he muttered. "Just pretend it's from a cow."

"I-I can't! It looks like a _human_ tongue!"

Renji grimaced and shook his head. "You need to eat something."

"I'll…just wait. Until I can get an organ. A liver…or stomach…or…"

A frustrated sound left him and he reached into his bag. "Close your eyes, Miyu."

She was hesitant to obey, confused as to what he had planned. Even if her eyes were closed, she would know that it was a human tongue. She had seen it. She heard a shifting as he moved closer and felt gauze slide over her head and wind around her upper face to cover her eyes. "…Renji…what are you doing…?"

"Be patient." There was an edge to his voice and it made her tense up. The loud sound of chewing could be heard as teeth gnashed the piece of flesh.

"Renji?" Her heart was starting to race now, unsure of what he was going to do. _He blindfolded me._ _What exactly-?_ A hand clamped onto the back of her neck and forced her forward. Lips pressed hard against hers, sending a rush of heat through her and bringing a red blush straight to her cheeks. Miyu's hands went to his chest, trying to push him away, but he brought her closer.

The tip of his tongue prodded at the corner of her mouth, but she kept her lips closed tightly. He growled into the kiss and squeezed harder on the back of her neck. His teeth finally nipped at her bottom lip, causing her to subconsciously try to cry out in pain. The second that her lips parted, he pushed the half-chewed flesh into her mouth with his tongue and kept his lips on hers to try to force her to swallow.

When Miyu did finally chew and swallow the human tongue, she felt him ease the makeshift blindfold off of her. She knew that her cheeks were a vibrant pink, but did not expect to see a flush of color on his as well. The boy quickly looked away and shoved the gauze back into his bag. "Um…thank you…?"

"It shouldn't take that much…just to get you to eat. Especially when you need the strength," he murmured. Looking at her, he frowned. "Don't make me do it again."


	6. Chapter 6

She could feel his stare and it was difficult to ignore. A hungry, piercing stare directed at her as she tried to go about her usual tasks for the day. Miyu finished her exchange with a middle-aged female ghoul, trading a fresh pot of ink and a new stamp for some coins that the woman had managed to scrounge up. Goose bumps rose on the girl's flesh as she felt him looking her up and down. Focusing on the customer was becoming difficult. "Thank you for your business."

"Thank you, Kurotani-chan. It's always nice to see you around." The woman looked past her at the male ghoul just in time to see him lick his lips and eye a particular part of the girl. "Do you need help?"

"Actually…I'm almost done for the day. Thank you, though. I'm going to finish up and head home soon," she assured the woman.

"Well, alright. Take care. If you need anything-"

"I'm alright…thank you." Miyu turned and strode past the male ghoul without sparing him a glance. Her heart was racing, her fingers anxiously twitching and fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. _I need to hurry. He's been following me all morning and I don't know what he's planning._

She was nearing a street corner when he finally took action. A large, sort of cold hand gripped her upper arm and turned her around to face him. The girl winced at his tight hold and narrowed her dark grey eyes upon his grinning face. "You need something? You've been following me…all morning. Why?"

"I wanted to know why Uta was so interested in that wimp Hideaki's sister. I heard you were something special, but you still look like that weak little brat that always hid behind her brother. So what's so special about you anyway?" He saw her scowl and try to pull away from his hold. Instead, his hand tightened around her arm, making her bite back a cry of pain. "Well? What is it? Why's he so interested in a skinny little bitch like you?"

"Let go of me!" The words came out in a low snarl, her hand going to his and sinking her nails in. The last thing she wanted to do was use her kagune so that was a very last resort option. _I just need to get him to let go of me and I can run!_

The man laughed, leaning down and taking her chin in his free hand. "You're kind of cute for a brat! You don't even look like that wormy brother of yours! Maybe that's what Uta likes about you, 'cause I don't see much else to like!" He saw her mouth open and moved too late to pull his hand away. Her teeth closed on his fingers, nearly severing them, and he recoiled. The girl was briefly released and she moved to run, but he soon tangled his healthy hand in her hair and drew back his other arm. "Where do you think you're going, pipsqueak?! You think you can get away with-?"

Miyu's eyes widened as a figure ran up behind the man. His body was sent skidding forward over the street, his fingers yanking out a few strands of her bright pink hair. She pressed a hand to her injured scalp and stared at the man. He was now lying face-down on the sidewalk across the road, whimpering loudly in pain. She turned toward the figure and frowned, shifting her gaze away quickly. "Thanks…"

Renji's features were still set in a fierce, angry expression as he looked her way, but gradually softened. "You're alright?" He saw her nod and turned back to the man as the older ghoul pushed himself onto his hands and knees. "You have another delivery?"

"Yeah, but…I can handle it. If you want to go home-" Miyu was taken aback as he gripped her hand gently in his and cast a final, warning glare in the man's direction. "Renji?"

"I'm not letting you walk alone. You're still healing."

She bit the inside of her cheek, disappointed that he had noticed. Her leg and chest injuries were still paining her and she had thought that she was doing a good job of hiding it. The meat that he had given her the night before was only enough to heal her minor injuries on her arms, neck, and face. "…are you _sure_ …?"

His frown deepened as they started to walk to her last delivery location, still holding her hand in his. "When I was injured…you let me eat your food and stay at your house."

"You didn't give me much choice," she pointed out.

"You're… _kind_ ," the boy argued. His expression was now one of frustration and conflict. "You're kind to other people…and I like that about you. I don't want to see you get hurt again so just let me do this."

A rush of warmth to her face told her that she was blushing. "Thank you."

The final delivery took place with no issues and she was paid with more coins rather than meat. An apology was offered, but she assured the customer that it was alright. _I do need to eat though_ , she realized. _I've never been hurt this badly before. When I get hurt, I usually heal really quickly. I'm not used to this._

"Miyu." He waited for her to look over before speaking again, wanting her full attention. "I can get you more food, but…will you be able to make yourself eat if I can't get organs?" Renji saw the color drain from her face and frowned. "Miyu, you need to eat."

"I-I can't! If it looks like it's from a person, I can't eat it! I'm not just being picky! I start to dry heave and I would just vomit it back up! I can't-!" She went silent as a faint pink hue began to form on his face. "Renji…?"

"You need to eat something," he stated firmly. Rubbing the back of his neck, he released a frustrated sigh. "I'll find a way."

 **Shift P.O.V**

He saw the man rise, coughing up blood and cursing the pale-haired boy for injuring him. This man was at least thirty and his body was muscled, but the boy had so easily disabled him with a single kick. It made the observer's heart race. He watched the man look back at the two teens with hatred before moving along down the sidewalk.

Crouching on the rooftop, the blond smiled. _I knew that it would pay off_ , he thought as he followed the man with his eyes. The idea to shadow Miyu on her route had sparked early that morning when he woke with the strange urge to see her again. She was so peculiar that she was bound to provide some sort of entertainment and now he had some options.

Uta could continue to track her and the pale-haired boy. After seeing her hold his hand, he felt a flare of intrigue. Clearly, she felt something for the scavenger and it would be interesting to follow them and see where it would lead. On the other hand, he had just witnessed a disgusting creep try to assault his new source of entertainment and when he considered his options, this took priority.

He stalked the man until he reached a secluded area to check out his injuries. Jumping down, Uta saw fear instantly spark in the man's eyes. He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow and stepping toward him. "I thought a guy your age would be smarter."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything wrong," the man spoke.

Red and black eyes landed on the man's hand and he smiled. "You have her hair wrapped around your fingers." Advancing a few more steps, he saw the man backing against a wall. "What were you going to do with her? Something _fun_?"

"It's none of your business! I don't know why a damn kid is in charge of this ward, but I'm sick of it! There's no way you're as strong as they say you are!"

"You want to see who's stronger?" His pulse was growing much faster, his eyes lit up with anticipation. "Let's do it. Let's see who's stronger. And if it's _you_ , you can do whatever you want with her. But if it's _me_ …"

Blood spurted from the man's mouth, his head smashing back against the brick wall. The blond was gripping his shoulder with one hand, his other arm impaling the man through the chest. He stared down at the appendage that seemed to just disappear into the middle of his abdomen and then lifted his eyes to Uta. "I-I'm sorry…please…don't do this!"

Without a shred of remorse, the boy yanked his arm free and shook it. Drops of the man's blood hit the pavement and ran along Uta's fingers in dark red trails. The man sank to his knees in the alley, pressing his injured hand to his chest as if to try to stem the bleeding. A rather sadistic grin spread across the boy's face as he leaned down to the man's level. "This isn't going to be quick. You touched the wrong girl. If it was anyone else, I don't think I'd really care. But you picked Kurotani Miyu."

The older ghoul's eyes went wide as his right arm was wrenched free at the elbow, his blood spilling all over the ground beneath him. His screams stopped in his throat as he looked from the bleeding stump back to the blonde ghoul in front of him. "Please…please don't…!"

"I waited and waited and waited for my chance to talk to her. So if she went missing, that would really disappoint me." The severed forearm was dropped in front of the man and Uta lifted a leg, planting the sole of his shoe against the man's shoulder to force his back to straighten. "What else? I like the faces she makes. I haven't even heard her scream yet. So if you did something to her, you would be robbing me of those things." His grin grew a little more and he gripped the man's left ear harshly. "You tried to _steal_ from me."

Blood splattered as Uta tore the ear from the man's head and he struggled to maintain his balance as the man began to thrash in pain. He lifted his leg a little and then drove it hard against the man's chest, forcing a strangled cry of agony to leave him. "Stop moving." The man obeyed, staring up at him through a haze as tears ran from his eyes. "What do you have to say? Do you even care about what you did? You wronged me and Miyu. You probably scared her."

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll never do it again! I promise!"

"I know you won't." Leaving the alley, Uta left behind a corpse that was barely recognizable as a person. He looked around, half-hoping that she might have seen his display of strength, but she was nowhere to be seen. With a shrug, he started off down the sidewalk in the direction of her house. Now he was pursuing his second option for entertainment; discovering what her relationship was with the Raven.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu was sitting at the table, this time reading rather than working on a stamp. She was flipping through an anatomy book, studying the organs with interest. _Pigs have similar anatomy, don't they? I'm sure I've heard that somewhere before. Pig hearts and human hearts look really similar. I've had heart a few times, but it's always been kind of old. Would a fresh heart be delicious?_ She glanced across the table at Renji, who was currently examining a pot of ink.

"…have you eaten a heart before…?" she hesitantly asked.

He looked over, wearing a slight frown. "No. I never used to eat organ meat."

"Sorry that it's all I have." Miyu saw him shrug and turned her attention back to the book. _The human tongue looks even weirder in this book because it isn't bloody. It looks a lot less appetizing. More like it's from a person. It tasted good last night though._ She started to blush, remembering the odd way that he had gotten her to eat it.

"Last night…I'm sorry about that," he spoke up.

"It's…it's alright. I didn't really mind it," she quietly replied. "You did get me to eat something…and some of my wounds are fully healed now."

Renji set down the bottle, wearing a serious expression. He was looking at the pink-haired girl, hoping that she might understand without him saying anything. Her dark grey eyes were directed at the open book, indicating that she was in fact no longer listening. Releasing a sigh of frustration, he tugged at the hem of his sleeve. "Miyu. I'll do it again. If that's what it takes to make you eat."

Before the conversation could even begin, it was interrupted by the front door opening. Uta looked down at the two, seeming unfazed by intruding into her house and seeing the pale-haired Raven sitting there with her. Taking a seat with them, he smiled and set a wrapped package in front of Miyu. "I got you this so you'll heal faster," he announced. "He gave you tongue last night, right?"

At this, her face began to burn. Miyu bowed her head, hoping that her bright pink hair would hide the color in her cheeks. "Thank you." She dragged the package close and opened it to find a fresh heart in the paper, shiny and red with blood. Keeping it semi-wrapped, she lifted it to her lips and began to eat. _It does_ _taste_ _better_ _fresh_.

"Tongue is nice, but you wanted something meatier huh? Does it taste good?" He saw her nod and his smile grew. Turning to the other boy now, he tilted his head. "You like Miyu, Mister Raven? She's cute, right?"


	7. Chapter 7

NeonHorizon: Just a quick violence warning. Also, I have a Twitter account called NeonHorizon25 where I post updates, chapter progress, and stuff. So...if you like hearing about the posting schedule, anime obsessions, and the like...feel free to follow. I want to start updating this more often, but I'll have to put another story on the back-burner if I do...

* * *

Over the next week, various bloody packages were found in the house. They only appeared when they were both gone or in the early morning. He knew who was bringing the organs into the house; the other ghoul's scent was on the stained paper wrapping and lingered in whatever room the packages were left in. Each offering contained a freshly harvested organ.

Renji knew why the food was being brought. The more that Miyu ate, the faster that she would heal. What was perplexing was that she actually accepted the offerings and said nothing to him about feeling unsettled. The worst had been just earlier that morning. A human heart was left, packaged nicely with a little bow, beside Miyu's bed before she woke up.

He frowned to himself as he walked around the perimeter of the house, searching for possible entry points where the other ghoul could be getting in. As far as he could see, the windows were so patched with duct tape from the inside that it should be impossible for someone larger than a small child to slip into the house. _How is he getting in?_

"Mister Raven!" a cheerful female voice greeted him.

The boy tensed and looked over his shoulder. _What did Miyu call her? Was it Hiyori?_ He turned to face her, not sure of what she might want with him. Over the past several days, he had become used to interacting with Miyu, but still struggled to comfortably deal with the ghouls around her.

"You didn't go with her? I thought she'd want some backup in case things get out of control. That's why I'm going." She saw his blank stare and raised an eyebrow. "Hello, I'm Itori."

"…right…" Renji took a step back as she leaned closer. He wanted nothing more than to go back inside, but her words piqued his curiosity. Miyu had gone out about half an hour ago and he had assumed that she went to deliver some stamps. "Were you talking about Miyu?"

She smiled and gave a nod. "Kurotani. That's right. So you're not going to the show? It should be pretty good. He's been working hard to make sure she had enough food to heal up so she'll be at full strength tonight." Taking a step closer, her smile widened. "You didn't know! Wow! She didn't even tell you, did she? The fight tonight! It probably already started! So? You wanna go with me?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu knew from the start where the food was coming from and what purpose it was meant to serve. She also knew that there was no getting around this fight. If she refused Uta, he would just find her later and bring the fight to her; no matter where she was or who was around her. When she left the house, she determined not to tell Renji where she was going. The note that accompanied the most recent gift had hinted that he could become involved if she failed to show up and she was adamant about keeping him safe.

The fight had begun rather quickly. She went to the same area where she had fought the doves and was immediately attacked. Keeping her eyes on her opponent, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her kagune were out and the top two were poised to strike, the bottom two bracing her to keep her steady.

 _He's fast. He's really fast, but he isn't using his kagune. Is he just waiting for the right time?_ Miyu felt an impact against her back and gritted her teeth, realizing that she had been distracted. Her top kagune moved to catch her from falling and she twisted. The vibrant red tentacles moved, twisting around her and she raised her arms to block a kick aimed at her head. She skidded backwards a few feet, the cement cracking beneath her kagune.

The girl blinked and he was suddenly on top of her, throwing her onto her back. Her kagune had become tangled and threatened to immobilize her as she glared up at him. _I can't let him win! I don't know what's going to happen if he wins!_ Fury raced through her veins and she shook her head. One of her top kagune lifted and swiped at him, landing a hit. He was sent flying back and came running at her again, but both of her bottom kagune lifted to block him.

The heels of her boots dug at the ground as she tried to brace against his attack, her mind scrambling for what to do next. She had little experience with actually fighting and before her last battle with Uta, it had been years since she was this serious. Locks of pink hair fell over her face as she struggled to maintain her balance against a barrage of hits.

When he backed off a little, his grin faded. The boy tilted his head, clearly displeased with her strategy this round. "Why aren't you attacking? You keep defending, but I know how strong you are. Come on. Fight back."

She was silent, her red and black eyes watching him intensely from behind the neon pink hair. Her kagune flexed and her head tilted ever so slightly, almost in a mocking way. A tip dug beneath the cracked cement and sent a large chunk hurtling at the boy. He was forced to quickly duck to the side and she took this moment to rush forward. "Is _this_ …what you wanted?" she demanded in a growl.

Uta's expression brightened, amusement shining in his gaze as he moved to dodge her strikes. She was noticeably picking up speed and, much to his delight, she seemed to be more energized than when they previously fought. He kept close to her while dodging her attacks, watching carefully for when she would turn lethal. It had been this way before; she was initially hesitant to hurt him, but eventually instinct kicked in and she fought as if to kill.

Her lips were twisted into a snarl as she started to let her guard down. Thoughts of him hurting Renji came to her mind and it was all the fuel that she needed. Her top kagune began to strike like a scorpion's tail and she used the bottom two to help her maintain her balance. She managed to land a few hits, driving him back, and propelled herself onto him. All four tentacles wrapped around his upper half, her face just above his and her gaze a smoldering glower. To her alarm, his smile grew and she felt a hand thread into her hair.

He heard her murmur a swear and twisted, tangling her hair in his grip. The kagune tightened around him in response to her pain, but at the same pushed her closer against him. "You make such weird faces," he remarked. "I'm glad I'm getting to know you."

The comment caught her off-guard and her appendages loosened ever so slightly. That was all that it took to let him break free. Miyu's back slammed into a building's hard, cold siding and she had to move quickly to dodge a hand thrusting toward her chest. She raised all four kagune in defense and backed up a few steps, watching him carefully. _He's fast. He's strong. He's taller than me. We're both wounded though._ She saw blood running down the side of his face and neck as well as dripping from his left fingertips. _How can I win this? I don't think he's ready to stop. I don't think he'll stop unless I really hurt him._

Uta appeared disappointed at her shift in approach, but soon brightened. "You're a lot stronger than Aki was."

"S-stop it." The words came out shakier than expected and she frowned. "Aki-nii wasn't weak! He was…he was just doing what he could!"

"Why though? He knew that he was weak, but he kept fighting to protect you and didn't he always get hurt? So why did he even bother?" Uta stepped toward her, watching blood leak from the corner of her lips and trail down the side of her neck. "He got in the way. No. More like he slowed me down, just a little. But now I'm getting what I wanted."

"What?" Her pulse was so fast and so hard that it actually hurt. There was a tightening in her chest, a slight tremble in her hands and legs. _What is he saying? Is he planning to eat me? I know that there aren't many like me here. If he eats me, how much stronger will he get? Will he go after Renji next?_ She gritted her teeth again and shook her head. "…what do you want…?"

His grin spread. "What? I couldn't hear you."

"Tell me…what was so important that you almost killed my brother." Miyu received no answer. Instead, he charged at her and deftly avoided a kick, delivering one of his own. She tumbled backwards, her top kagune moving just in time to block him from hitting her face again. Her anger surged and she could feel her restraint leaving her. Before she could stop herself, she was striking at him with all four kagune again and again. He was hit a number of times, but maintained that delighted smile as he retaliated.

Both ghouls were soon bloody and out of breath, facing each other in a narrow alley. The width of the space restricted Miyu's kagune and she knew that if he attacked her here, it could be the end of her. _What does he want?! Just to fight? Or does he really just want to eat me? I need a strategy! There's no time to think!_ When she saw him darting forward, she threw her kagune back and then snapped the top ones at his face. He dodged and the bottom tentacles went for his legs. She heard a sickening, wet piercing sound and looked down in horror.

The point of her right bottom kagune had impaled his thigh. He looked at it with a slight frown and stepped back, trying to free himself. Though it was a terrible situation to be in, he actually looked really excited. When it became clear that he would not be able to pull himself free, he lifted his gaze to hers and gripped her shoulders before she could move. "You look pretty cute when you're surprised," he whispered.

Miyu was lifted and thrown down the alley, forcing her kagune out of his leg. She skidded over the rough ground on her side and when she tried to get away from his approaching form, she knew it was useless. Now that he was free, there was no way that she would get away with doing that much damage to him. Unsurprisingly, a hand tangled in her neon pink locks and dragged her face up, inches from his. The smile he wore sent a chill down the girl's spine and she felt her kagune subconsciously lift. A fierce pain erupted in her wrist as it was grabbed and a cracking sound told her that it could break if she failed to escape. The female ghoul struggled, trying to get free, and soon felt a new pain as his knee connected with her chest. _My ribs…are breaking again…_

"What? Oh. That was too much." The hold on her wrist loosened to a gentle grip, the hand in her hair softening its hold as well. Uta looked down at her, seeing tears of anguish welling in the corners of her eyes. Fresh blood was dripping from her lips as she bowed her head. "I guess I went too far. Sorry. I just got so excited. You're really strong."

Miyu's vision was blurred by her tears. She pressed a hand to her aching ribs, trying not to show how much pain she was in and failing miserably. _He doesn't look like that hole in his leg even bothers him. Is he just good at hiding it?_ A cry of surprise left her as she was lifted and carried out of the alley. "Ngh…I'm…sorry about your leg," she muttered. "I-I might have lost my composure so…"

"I liked it," he replied. "You really went all out. It was just what I wanted." He smiled down at her as he emerged into the streetlight's glow. "You need to practice more; then it'll be even more fun."

She was set down and she stumbled a little, frowning when she felt his hand grip the back of her shirt to steady her. "…thanks…"

"That was awesome! You looked so cool, Kurotani!" Itori's face appeared over the side of a rooftop above, grinning down at the two other ghouls.

Miyu saw another face and felt the blood drain from her cheeks. _Renji? Why is he here? What did he see?_ Her pulse became faster as he made his way down to their level and shoved her hands into her pockets. _I didn't want anyone else to see me like that. I don't like people knowing about my kagune._ Her arm was put over his shoulders and she felt a stirring in her chest. Her bones were slowly repairing themselves.

When Renji looked down at her, his expression made her tears multiply. His face was one of such concern and gentleness that she could hardly believe that he was really making such an expression. He was usually stoic and cold. Turning his face toward Uta, it changed. His mouth set in a firm line as he met the other boy's gaze. "She's done."

"If we tried to keep going, I'd be afraid of breaking her," the blond commented.

"What…did you want?" Miyu managed to ask, blood dripping with each word.

Uta leaned down so his face was level with hers and smiled. "I want to be friends. It should be a lot easier with Aki gone." He lifted his eyes to Renji again and seemed to just silently stare for a moment. "See you tomorrow, Miyu."

She saw his blurred figure turn and start to walk away. A bit of satisfaction came with the sight of him limping slightly. Her lips curled into a half-smile of triumph as she leaned against Renji's side for support. "Thank you."

"What were you thinking?"


	8. Chapter 8

_No organ meat._ He stared down into the fridge, gripping the door tightly and narrowing his eyes. _Fingers. Chunks of flesh. Another tongue. No organs. She can't eat these. Not without my help._ His pulse quickened at the thought of needing to repeat the method from last time _. I can't_ , he decided. _I can't do that again. It was embarrassing._

"No more organs in that fridge."

The voice made him tense and he looked toward the doorway. It was another male ghoul. Larger than him, older than him. Definitely not stronger than him. Renji closed the refrigerator and frowned, staring back at the other ghoul. He knew that he needed to find organs for Miyu to eat. The worst of her injuries had healed, but there were still a few wounds and bruises.

The girl's customers over the past few days had only supplied her with bottles of blood, which seemed to confuse her. He had watched her pull a few bottles from her bag the previous day and set them out on the kitchen counter, staring at them in puzzlement as if she was unsure of what to do with them. Blood could only do so much for her, if he could even get her to drink it. "…I need organs…" he muttered, glaring at the man.

"Well, tough. We don't store them here anymore," the man replied, crossing his arms.

Renji wanted to ask where they were storing them now, but he knew he would not receive an answer. It was clear that he was being baited. If he fought this man, he would win without a doubt. Fighting the blond would be different. He left the building and paused out in the morning sunlight, frowning to himself. A slight weight in his pocket assured him that the package of flesh that he had swiped was indeed there.

As he began the walk back to Miyu's house, he tried to determine why he was now repeatedly stealing meat for her. She had been kind to him; that was true. However there seemed to be a deeper feeling behind his actions besides simple gratitude. He enjoyed the time he spent with her, even if it was just watching her carve stamps or read. Every day, he seemed to learn something new about her and it only deepened his admiration.

She had shared her books with him, showing him her favorite sections of medical books as well as her treasured animal encyclopedia. The girl taught him about the art of stamp carving and the differences between the inks that she sold. One night, Miyu had invited him to watch movies with her in her room, spouting facts about each film and explaining that her brother had collected movies when they lived together.

Thinking about her brother made his frown deepen. The girl clearly missed him. She spoke of him often, but barely mentioned why he had gone. _Something about a girl_ , he remembered. Renji shook his head as a deep, sinking feeling began in his stomach. He was almost certain that Hideaki was dead and he was half-sure that the blond ghoul had been the one that killed him. Pairing that with the way he fought and injured Miyu, Renji felt uneasy.

He knew now that she was strong, though. Much stronger than he had expected. When he saw her attacking with her kagune, he realized just how powerful she really was. Though it was clear that she had limited experience with fighting. It made him all the more determined to do everything that he could to keep her safe.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu lifted the stamp to examine it in the light, looking it over for any imperfections. This order was particularly important. An envelope had arrived in the mail the previous day with instructions from a family that wanted stamps made for every member of their household. They promised to pay a large sum and include some organ meat as well so this was a job she could not afford to skip.

She jolted at the sudden knocking at her door, nearly dropping her tool and stamp. "Ah! J-just a second!" Taking a deep breath to calm down, she winced. A sharp pain erupted in her chest from her not fully healed ribs. "Ngh." She stood, but paused to try to wait for the pain to fade. _I didn't have any deliveries today, did I?_

The door was opened and the girl tensed in alarm. "Did you…need something?" she quietly asked, trying not to let her nervousness show.

Uta smiled down at her and glanced to the room behind the girl. "Can we come in?"

"Ah…sure." Miyu stepped aside to let the two other ghouls into her home. Itori immediately went to check out the open book on the table and Uta went to greet the scruffy grey dog. The sight of the male ghoul made goose bumps rise on her skin. When he said that he would see her the next day, she had thought that he had been joking. "Um…?"

"We came to hang out," Itori explained.

The girl felt the strong urge to fidget with her sleeve, but fought it to the best of her ability. "Oh…actually, I was planning to hang out with some friends today," she lied.

The other two exchanged a curious look. "What friends?"

Feeling just a tiny bit insulted at the surprise in Itori's voice, she attempted a half-smile to hide it. "Mitsuki-chan and Keiko-chan. I told them that I'd see them today so-"

"We're your friends now," Uta cut in. "Right? Aren't we friends?" He left the dog and walked over to Miyu, looking down at the girl with an eyebrow raised. A smile spread across his face as her dark grey eyes darted away from his black and red ones. Reaching down, he lifted a stray lock of her neon pink hair and absently let his fingers rub against it. "We're friends, right, Miyu? Close friends."

Her pulse began to speed up and she felt a strange tightness in her chest. Heat rose to her cheeks and she gritted her teeth. _What is this? It doesn't feel normal. It doesn't feel like fear. Why is he standing so close? I didn't feel like this when he was petting Neechan._ Miyu turned her gaze back to Uta's, forcing herself to maintain eye contact. A half-grin formed on her lips as she hoped to cover her nervousness. "Close friends," she agreed.

"So you wanna hang out with us?" Itori gave her a bright smile that managed to help calm her ever so slightly. Miyu nodded once. "We should watch some of your brother's movies again! That one we watched last time was pretty funny."

Watching Itori walk into her room to peruse the selection of films, Miyu felt her grin falter. _Funny? That was a horror film! It was an American horror film that cost Aki-nii a lot of money!_ She turned away from Uta, successfully getting her hair free from his fingers, and moved to follow the girl. A hand caught her by the elbow, pulling her so she fell back against his chest. "Ngh!" Pain bloomed in her ribs upon the impact and she hissed, holding her ribs with one hand.

"Sorry." He looked down at her, his smile gone and replaced with a strange look of concern. "I got you a gift. I don't want Itori to see it; it's embarrassing."

"Wh…what? What is it?" Miyu felt a package wrapped in paper pressed into her hand. _Food?_ She looked down at it and sniffed. It smelled of human blood so she could only assume that it was something that he wanted her to eat. "Thanks."

Uta's smile returned and he released her arm. Walking around her, he started for her room. "Put it somewhere safe; I don't want your houseguest to eat it."

Halfway through the movie, Itori abruptly announced that she had to run an errand. Now left alone with the male ghoul, Miyu could feel her heart racing. She was sitting on the floor at the foot of her bed, facing the television, and he was sitting on her bed. There was space between them and the door was open, but her anxiety was getting out of control. She absently picked at a hole in the knee of her stockings and glanced to the screen. It was impossible to tell by the reflection whether or not he was looking at her.

 _Why is this happening? We could have killed each other just last night and now we're sitting in my room like old friends! This can't be normal, right? Is this how his friendship is with Itori? I don't think I've ever seen them fight though._ She felt the mattress move a little and tensed, seeing in the screen's reflection that he was now lying on his stomach with his face near hers. "Itori-chan left in a hurry," she tried to remark with nonchalance. A lock of her hair was lifted and she saw that he was toying with it, an amused smile on his lips.

"I wanted to be alone with you," he confessed. Leaning down to look her in the eye, he tilted his head. "Before last week, we never really spoke, did we?" She shrugged in response, turning her gaze back to the movie. He did the same, but continued to mess with the strand of her bright pink hair. "But I wanted to talk to you. When I saw you that day, I got really excited to see you again. I meant to come here sooner, but things kept coming up."

"You…wanted to talk to me? Why? If it's about Aki-nii, then…I won't be much help. I don't know what ward he went to when he left."

"Huh?" His smile grew a little sheepish in nature as he lowered his eyes to the pink hair in his hands. "I don't care about Aki. Don't you think he was kinda overprotective? Almost obsessive? Wasn't it kinda _creepy_ how much he wanted to keep you away from boys?"

It clicked just then. Miyu tipped her head back to look up at Uta and saw him admiring the sheen of her hair between his fingers. "Aki-nii…told you not to talk to me."

"I just wanted to be friends. You're around my age and you were pretty cute. He always shielded you though. He never wanted anyone else to talk to you. That's why I'm surprised that you have those friends. But aren't they kinda boring?"

It was true. Neither of her friends hunted; they relied on their parents for food. They never fought. They never used their kagune. In fact, one could almost mistake her friends for being human. "…I guess…"

"There." Uta lifted the piece of hair for her to see it, revealing that it was now in a tight, thin braid. "Don't take it out, okay? I did this for you so it's special."

Miyu hated that heat rushed to her cheeks. "O-okay." She looked at the television again, now wondering just how many times her brother had spoken to Uta behind her back. The girl felt somewhat betrayed. She had never known about her brother confronting him before their big fight and she was still unsure of what had caused that.

"Aki wasn't very bright," he continued, sounding almost bored. "He was smart, but he kept challenging me. He couldn't let it go. You'd have to be either crazy or obsessive to keep challenging a stronger guy to a fight over something like talking to your sister."

"What?!" She felt an arm slide down and across the front of her shoulders in a strange semblance of an embrace.

"The last time we fought wasn't the first time we fought. He just couldn't let us be friends. Well, he's gone now." He seemed to see the alarm in her eyes and frowned. "Miyu? He didn't tell you, did he?"

"No…he never told me," she admitted.

"Hmm. Well, we're friends _now_ , right?" Uta saw her nod and his smile returned. "Best friends?" Before she could answer, the front door opened and he snapped his head in that direction. "Oh. Welcome home, Mister Raven."

Miyu bowed her head, staring down at the arm across her shoulders. _He's still holding me. Why? And why is my heart beating so fast? I should be upset about Aki-nii keeping secrets, but really…I feel…excited? Maybe having Uta as my friend will be okay. It's better than having him as my enemy, right?_ She looked over in time to see Renji standing in the doorway, wearing a perplexed expression.

"Why are you here?" he asked, visibly tense.

"I'm spending time with my new friend. Right, Miyu?" Uta's eyes went to hers as his hand tilted her chin back. His face was just inches away from her, giving him a perfect view of the girl's face flushing pink. "That's a pretty cute face."

She was glad when Renji sat beside her on the floor. Somehow, just having him near made her feel oddly secure. Her chin was released and she anxiously ran her fingers through her hair, pausing when she felt the weight of the braid. Even though he may have been joking, she decided not to take it out. _This is okay, right? They don't seem to be fighting._ She bit at her thumbnail as all eyes turned to the television, watching an axe murder chase down their potential victims. _If he tries to fight Renji, I won't let him. I'll fight him myself._

At her side, she saw her housemate tense. A glance behind him made her quickly turn her head and stare as she realized that Uta was now toying with a strand of the boy's pale hair. It was such an odd sight that she almost wanted to laugh.

When Uta caught her looking, he grinned. "This color's natural, isn't it?"

"…stop touching me…" the other boy muttered, frowning.


	9. Chapter 9

Miyu was unsure of why the woman had thought this was a good idea. She had almost no experience handling children, but when her middle-aged customer came to her door and asked for the favor, it was hard to refuse. This was how she was forced to cancel all of her deliveries for the day and instead stay in her house with a rather young baby. No food had been left for her to give him so she had to assume that the baby had already been fed by his mother.

 _What am I supposed to do now?_ The girl was sitting at her table, staring down at the baby cradled in her arms. She glanced over at the strange contraption that the mother had brought over along with the baby's favorite stuffed animal, blanket, and diaper bag. It appeared to be a carrier of some sort, almost resembling a backpack that was worn on one's chest. _I can't make deliveries, even if I take him with me. I can't ask Renji to watch him while I'm out. I can't even carve stamps right now._

The door opened and her housemate paused before entering, his eyes immediately drawn to the girl and baby. Without a word, he walked over and held out his hands for the child. "You have work so…I'll hold them."

"Ah…th-thanks." She moved to lift the child and blushed faintly when her fingers touched his. Turning away to try to hide her flushed cheeks, she started to gather the supplies and orders for her next stamp set. Miyu glanced across the table for a second and felt her blush increase. _He…looks cute…holding that baby. Why do I think that? I'm not old enough to be thinking like that, am I?_

Renji watched her, hesitant to ask where the baby had come from and a little embarrassed that he had been so quick to take it from her. "Where did you get this?"

Bowing her head, she let her long pink hair fall to cover her cheeks. "Takahashi-san…said that she had to go somewhere…and she needed someone to watch the baby."

He looked down again as the child's face contorted, clearly about to start crying. "Did she leave food?"

Miyu was starting on a new stamp, patiently passing the sharp edge of her tool over the wood to begin making shapes. "…no…no food…"

Across the table, he frowned. "I'll…think of something."

Though she tried to focus on her work, she kept finding her eyes drawn to him. The way that he handled the baby was so gentle and she hated herself for being so surprised by this. She heard him stand and watched the boy walk to the kitchen, retrieving one of the bottles of blood. _Can a baby drink that?_ Observing from the edge of her vision, Miyu saw him proceed to very gently coax the baby to drink a little, carefully maneuvering the bottle. "Renji…how…?"

"My sister…she…had children," he murmured, averting his gaze.

"Your sister?" Miyu paused in her carving, lifting her eyes. The boy was still looking away from her, but she could see a sadness in his face. _He never talks about his family. I didn't even know that he had a sister. But…he looks so sad...I can't ask him. I just can't hurt him that way._ She bowed her head when he turned back to her, pretending to be distracted by her task.

The room was quiet for a while with only the scratching of her tool on the stamp and the baby's happy cooing to keep it from silence. Renji studied the girl's expression from across the table. She was curious. It was hard for her to keep that curiosity from shining in her dark grey eyes, but she was clearly reluctant to ask questions. "Miyu…you never said why your brother left the 4th ward."

The tool poised above the wooden stamp in mid-stroke, her teeth lightly sinking into the inside of her cheek. She felt a tightness in her chest and she carefully set down her work. "My…brother?" With a slightly shaky hand, she absently ran her fingers through her hair and felt a fingertip catch on the braid that Uta had given her a few days ago. Running her fingertips over it gave her an odd sense of comfort and she felt tears burn at the corners of her eyes. "Aki-nii…he was always really protective…but…"

"That short-haired girl said that something happened. Between him and a girl."

She nodded. "Y-yeah. Well, he always told me…not to talk to boys. He said they were _dangerous_ and…bad things could happen. But then, he…he talked to a girl his age. They started to…always be together and then one day…she said she was pregnant. Aki-nii wanted to do the right thing so…he proposed. He wanted to take her somewhere safe though because she was going to have a baby." The tears were welling up now, threatening to spill. "She…told him to leave his past behind…so they could focus on their new family. So he did. He left around three months ago and I haven't heard from him."

Renji's eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "He…left you because _she_ told him to?"

"W-well, I can't blame her," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "Who would want to start a new life with someone that's carrying _this_ kind of baggage, right? And…I knew Aki-nii wouldn't always be around…it's not like I didn't see it coming eventually." The tears rolled down her cheeks and a sad smile pulled at her lips. "I-I don't know why I'm crying…I should be over it by now, right?"

He frowned and moved around the table, sitting at her side and reaching over to wipe at the tears with his sleeve. The baby quietly made sounds of contentment, staring up at the older ghouls with wide eyes. Renji felt Miyu's tears soaking his shirt, but he ignored it. "It's…alright to mourn." His voice was soft; an attempt at comforting her.

"…mourn…?" She hiccupped and felt heat rising to her cheeks. _I'm pathetic. He can see that and that's why he's being so nice._ Her shoulders drooped a little and she absently tugged at a loose thread on the edge of her sleeve. "I'm sorry. I should be stronger than this. Heh. I-I can fight Uta, but I can't stop myself from crying like a lost child. How _stupid_ , right?"

"Stop it." He lifted her chin, staring down into her slowly reddening eyes. "It…isn't stupid; it's normal to be sad about this. It's alright for you to cry." Renji tensed when he felt her arms go around him, her face pulling away to bury in his shoulder. He carefully moved the baby to the side, his free arm wrapping around Miyu in a half-hug. "It's okay. You can cry."

 _Damn it. Why am I crying like this? I didn't cry for almost two months and now I can't stop._ She could feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt and it made her blush darken from pink to a red hue. Her fingers pressed harder at his back, pulling him closer against her. "I'm…weak. I don't care what Uta says. Or what Itori-chan says. I'm…basically useless, right? I was lost as soon as my brother left, I can barely feed myself, I can't hunt and…I can't even win against Uta so-"

"Stop it," he repeated. Renji glared down at her when she pulled away from his shoulder. "You're…strong, okay? I know you're strong. I know it. So stop saying those things."

Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him and a fluttery sort of feeling began in her stomach. _Strong? He can't be serious._ Miyu started to draw away from him, but felt the arm around her tighten to pull her back. "Renji?"

"I'm not letting go until I know that you're alright."

 **Shift P.O.V**

It hurt to see her that way and hear those words come from her mouth. He knew that she was lacking confidence, but when he heard her call herself "useless", he felt a spike of anger. A few hours had passed since then and Renji reclaimed his seat across the table so he could watch her work. The baby was settled on a spare pillow nearby and they were peacefully sleeping when a thought occurred to Renji. His pink-haired host was looking a little pale.

Her last meal had been a few days prior when Uta visited and delivered a human organ for her to eat. This being the case, her healing was still not quite complete. A rinkaku type meant that she healed faster, but that could only take her so far on such a small amount of nutrition. Most of her past meals from Uta had been used as fuel in her fight against him. _She needs to eat_ , he realized. _She doesn't look healthy._

Retrieving a package from the kitchen, he settled at her side and frowned. "Miyu…."

The girl spotted the blood-stained paper wrapping and immediately shook her head. "I'm…I'm fine, Renji. I just need to hold out until my next delivery."

He looked from the package to her and his frown deepened. The past few deliveries had yielded only coins or promises of meat in the future. "You need to eat," he quietly persisted. The wrapping was pulled away and he looked down at the stolen meat. It was, most unfortunately, a very human-looking slab of flesh torn from a thigh. It bore an inked design, indicating that the human had been tattooed. He carefully pulled away this part of the skin and heard her gag. "Miyu…you need to eat something."

"I'm fine. Really. So just…put that back or eat it yourself right now because I can't-"

"I can fix it. Just…wait a minute."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu tried to focus on her work, but it was difficult. He had taken the meat back to the kitchen and she heard a few loud thuds, followed by a wet, ripping sound. _What is he doing to it? Do I want to know?_ She winced when a louder thud occurred and glanced over at the baby. The child was still sleeping.

Renji emerged from the kitchen and carried the package over to her. It was half-wrapped and there was blood splattered on his cheek, a little dotted on his neck. He sat beside her and opened the wrapping to reveal shredded meat. "Here. You can eat this…right? It doesn't look human."

"Y-yeah…thank you." The girl hesitantly lifted a shred of meat and brought it to her mouth to chew on it. As she ate, she could feel a growing blush on her cheeks. _He's still holding the paper and stuff. And he's sitting so close to me…Why am I feeling so flustered? We live together. Why does this feel so…different?_

When the meat was gone, she lifted her hand to lick the blood from her fingers. She was licking at her thumb when she felt him watching her and glanced up. "Ah…sorry. This is probably rude. Huh?!" Her wrist was taken and she felt her heart suddenly begin to beat at a much faster pace. She froze in place, watching her hand get closer and closer until he brought her fingertips to his lips. Heat bloomed at her core as she felt the soft skin of his lips brush her flesh. Miyu closed her eyes and tried desperately to control her breathing as she felt the tip of his tongue caress her skin. Biting her own lip, she tried to suppress a squeak.

He released her wrist and pulled away, his eyes shifting to the side to avert his gaze. "…didn't want to waste any…" he muttered.

Miyu opened her eyes and saw the faintest hint of warmth in his face. "Renji?" The boy continued to look away. _That was brave…right?_ Her eyes narrowed on the blood speckled on his cheek and neck. Taking a deep breath, she summoned forth some courage and carefully gripped his shoulder to draw him down to her level. The girl leaned up, trailing the tip of her tongue over the blood on his cheek to lick it off. When she pulled away, her face felt warmer than ever before in her life and, much to her horror, her nose began to bleed.

"Ah…" She pressed her sleeve to her nose and turned away. "I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have…I mean…I just…um…" Miyu stood and started for her room, but a hand tightly caught her by the wrist. She was spun, her back hitting the wall and the boy staring down at her intensely. "R-Renji?"

"You…can't just walk away after that." He leaned down, slowly closing the distance between them. One hand was gripping her wrist, pinning it over her head against the wall, and the other now lifted to wipe away her blood with his sleeve. The boy's pulse was pounding as he kept his eyes fixed upon her blushing face.

The girl was sure that at this point, her face could not possibly get any redder. Having him so close, his face now inches from hers, she could feel her heart race. When the blood was mostly wiped away, she found him drawing even closer. Her eyes closed on instinct and she felt his lips against hers. The fluttery sensation returned to her stomach and she felt her free arm lift to subconsciously wrap around his neck. Fingers threaded into her hair, keeping her close as he continued the kiss.

When he pulled away, he managed a stern look down at her. The boy tugged at the neck of his shirt, exposing more skin and displaying the blood speckled there. "Miyu…you didn't get it all…"


	10. Chapter 10

NeonHorizon: Hideaki makes an appearance. Depression warning. Updates will happen more frequently for a while.

* * *

Miyu was looking over her notes from past orders, checking for ink types and stamp preferences. _Who will need a replacement soon? When Aki-nii left, a lot of people started coming to me wanting replacement stamps. I really don't think that my stamps are better quality than his though._ She felt someone watching her and glanced over at Itori. "Hm?"

"What're you doing? I thought you were going to watch this movie with me."

"I am, but…I need to figure out if I have to order supplies," she admitted.

"What? Ugh, that sounds boring." The short-haired girl grabbed the notebook and tossed it aside. "Come on! Let's do something _fun_!"

"But it's raining." Both girls looked toward the bedroom window and heard the droplets striking the remaining glass and wooden boards.

"Ugh." Itori leaned her head back against the end of the bed, frowning. Her nose twitched and the frown was instantly replaced with a smirk. "Hey, so how far have you gone with the Raven anyway?"

Blood rushed to Miyu's face and she bowed her head, nervously tugging at the hem of her sleeve. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know! Have you two… _done it_ …yet?" She made a sort of crude gesture with her hands, grinning when she saw the other girl turn red. "You _have_ , right?! I mean, I can smell him all over you!"

"We're not…I mean…we haven't…we've only k-kissed, alright?!"

The grin started to fade. " _Seriously_? You're living with a guy and you've only kissed?" Itori sighed dramatically and leaned back again. "How boring! Why wouldn't you be all over him? Why else are you two living together? What's your relationship?" She shook her head, pouting for a moment and looking at the television screen. The movie was still playing, but she had little interest in it. "What about Uta?"

Miyu tensed and immediately shook her head. "I…don't even…I mean…he j-just sees me as an opponent, right? He likes fighting with me; that's it. That's all it needs to be. I'm…barely even a challenge for him when it comes to fighting. I'm weak."

"How are you so oblivious?" Itori rolled her eyes and turned away from the television. "You seriously think you're weak?" The other girl nodded. "Okay, how many other ghouls have you fought, Kurotani?"

"…not very many…a few when I was younger, but…in the past six years…just Uta…" She began nervously toying with a strand of her hair, still unnerved by what Itori had insinuated about her relationship with Renji.

" _One_ other ghoul. You've fought _one_ other ghoul and it was Uta. So, really, you're trying to measure your strength against someone that's really strong. Do you know how dumb it sounds when you call yourself weak? You can hold your own against Uta! You stabbed him in the leg with your kagune! You're way stronger than you think you are, Kurotani! You don't even realize how cool you are!"

Miyu blushed faintly and looked away. "I'm…not cool."

 **Shift P.O.V**

The rain was hammering down around him now. The early afternoon sky had been clear and beautiful; not even hinting at this sudden downpour in the early evening. He wanted to go back to the house. He wanted the warmth of the coffee she made, the shelter of the house, the heat of her body with her arms wrapped around him. Shaking his head, he continued through the storm, following directions.

It had been a few days since his kiss with Miyu and in those days, things began to change. Not just between himself and the pink-haired girl. He had been approached one afternoon by the ghoul called Uta and subsequently befriended. While it was somewhat confusing, it did present him with this opportunity. Now that they were friends, he knew that he could get some information from Uta regarding Kurotani Hideaki.

 _Almost there._ Renji felt the rain against his scalp, his hair soaked through and dripping onto his already wet clothes. It was unpleasant, but then so was the task that he was currently undergoing. He was determined to find answers. This was just one piece of the puzzle, but it would give him some sort of idea at least. An idea of Hideaki's fate.

He came upon a shed, tucked away behind a warehouse. It appeared to be a maintenance shed, full of cleaning equipment and empty crates. His heart beat rapidly as he entered the little building, already pretty sure of what he would find yet still hoping for a different discovery. _He said it was near the back. A red line on the lid._ Renji spotted it in the dim space and felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. _No…_

The boy approached the crate, a coldness settling over him. The crate was about waist high and the lid was visibly loose. With a frown, he forced himself to lift the lid. It was just as he had feared. Inside, tucked away with his knees curled up to his chest, was a rotting corpse. Uta had said Hideaki would be wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and black shorts. This corpse was wearing exactly that. The right hand was missing all of its fingers and the rest of the body was visibly damaged with broken bones, large chunks missing from the decaying limbs and neck. The most horrific was the big hole that went through the center of his chest, leaving the sweatshirt torn and ragged.

 _Kurotani Hideaki. I'm sorry._ A new sadness settled over him as he studied the dead body, knowing that he could never tell Miyu that he had found her brother this way. Uta had not told him how the older ghoul died; simply where he would be found and what he would be dressed in. _How did you die? What were you doing?_

The crate lid was slid back into place and Renji bowed his head, thinking about his sister for a moment. The pain from his loss was still fresh and he felt a burning in his eyes as he fought tears. Curling his hands into tight fists, he punched the crate to his right and gritted his teeth. _Why did this happen? Miyu doesn't deserve this._ The anger started to fade away, his fists relaxing as melancholy took over. _I can't tell her. And I can't leave him here. I have to do something. A burial._

Renji looked over his shoulder at the open doorway out of the shed. The blond that lingered there tilted his head, rain dripping from his dyed locks. "…help me bury him…you owe him that much…"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu was lying in bed, listening to the storm outside and considering what Itori had said to her. The short-haired girl had gone, saying that she had somewhere to be, but her words had started to bother the ghoul. _My relationship with Renji…? What are we? Are we just roommates? I haven't really thought about it. He broke in and…just hasn't really left. So are we friends? Are we just roommates? What does he think about us?_

She remembered the incident a few nights ago and blushed pink. Her fingers subconsciously went to her mouth, recalling how it felt when he kissed her. It was the second time that his lips were on hers, but their first real kiss. He had not been trying to feed her this time and he had even pursued her when she tried to brush it away.

Thinking about the kiss inevitably reminded her of the way he pinned her against the wall. The fierce look in his eyes as he leaned down to reclaim her lips. The way his fingers tangled in her hair. She felt a rush of heat through her body as she thought about him and quickly closed her eyes, hugging her pillow to her chest. _Calm down. He probably doesn't even see me as more than a roommate. That was a fluke._

The front door opened and closed, startling her out of her thoughts. Miyu left her room and found Renji in the kitchen. He had his back to her, his head bowed and his hands planted on the countertop. Rain dripped from his hair and clothes, but he seemed to not even notice it. When he heard her approaching footsteps, he visibly tensed and shook his head.

Miyu stopped just outside of the kitchen and frowned. "…Renji…are you okay…?"

"I want to be alone." The words came out very quietly, his tone soft. "I'm sorry."

"Ah…alright…" She turned away and started back for her room, pausing to grab a few books from the table. Her intention was to close her door with the dog in her room, leaving him with the rest of the house. _I don't know what happened, but something isn't right. I wish I could do something to help him._

As Miyu was trying to direct her dog into her room, she heard a knock at the front door. A glance toward Renji showed that he was now sitting on the floor, his back leaned against the cupboard beneath the sink with his legs drawn to his chest. His hair was falling forward, hiding his face from her view. Her chest started to feel tight so she looked away and went to open the front door.

Uta grinned down at her, his hair and clothes soaked. "Hey, Miyu-chan."

"Um…" She glanced over at Renji again and he followed her line of sight. "I…guess…come in, Uta-san?" The girl moved aside to let him into her house, an unsettling feeling beginning in the pit of her stomach. She moved to get a towel for him, knowing that he probably intended to stay for a while. As she handed it to the boy, she noticed something odd. His pants, shoes, and hands had mud on them. _Was he digging? Did he bury some doves? Do we bury doves?_

He dried his hair and shifted his gaze from her to Renji. The pale-haired boy was still sitting on the floor in the kitchen, seemingly ignoring the other two and trying to physically close them off from seeing his face. Uta crossed the main room to the kitchen and stood over him for a moment before dropping the towel over his head. To Miyu's surprise, he knelt next to him and started drying his hair.

The female ghoul watched this for a moment, truly perplexed by what she was seeing. _Does Uta know what happened to him?_ She fidgeted with the end of her sleeve, considering approaching the kitchen, but just remained standing near the door. The blond was saying something to Renji very, very quietly. When he looked over at her and smiled, she felt her heart skip a beat. "Ah…is…Renji alright?"

"He's fine," Uta assured her. He stood and walked back to her, pushing his hands into his pockets. "Can we go to your room?"

"I…I'm sorry. I can't leave him alone like this." Fighting her nervousness, Miyu walked to the kitchen and knelt in front of Renji. He glared up at her through his hair, pulling his knees tighter against his chest. She reached for the towel that was still settled over his shoulders and started attempting to dry him off. _He's mad at me, but I can't leave him alone. I know that something's wrong. I know he won't tell me. If he won't say anything, the least I can do is try to make him comfortable._

"…I want to be alone…" he growled. Despite his rough tone, he found the girl moving closer. Worse, he felt her slender arms wrap around him and her chin rested on his shoulder. Renji tensed for a moment, but then relaxed. His legs slid away from his chest and his arms wrapped around her, pulling her firmly against his chest. She froze for a second, but then hugged him tighter.

She knew that Uta was nearby and definitely watching, but she no longer cared. Her only concern was Renji. In this moment, it did not matter what their relationship was; she just wanted to pull him out of the depression that was threatening to swallow him up. "I…don't know what happened, but…I-I'm here, okay? If you need anything…"

"Don't leave me." Feeling the heat of her skin through her shirt, having her scent seem to envelope him, he could almost push away the despair. He looked up at Uta as the blond grinned and he attempted a warning look that went immediately defied.

Uta crouched down beside the two, reaching over to plop the wet towel over both of them. "It's cold. Got any coffee?"

"Ah…y-yeah. I'll make some." Miyu moved to stand and found Renji following her. He stood beside her at the counter as she brewed some coffee, but there was still something obviously wrong. His face conveyed his usual stoic coldness, however it did not reach his eyes. When she looked at his eyes, she could see sadness still strongly present. Something was bothering him, eating away at him and threatening to overwhelm him.

As she handed a cup of coffee to Uta, she once again noticed the mud on his clothes. A look at Renji showed mud around the ends of his sleeves and on his pants. _Did they fight? But neither of them seem to be injured. What happened? Whatever it is, it involves Uta._ She turned to give Renji his drink and found her wrist gripped. Her head tipped back so she could look up at him, her pulse racing. "…Renji…are you okay?"

His hold tightened for a second and then relaxed into a gentle grip. "…thank you…"

Uta smirked and looked directly at Miyu. "You want to cheer him up?"


	11. Chapter 11

The night air was cold, reminding Miyu of why she disliked leaving the house after sunset. The chill seemed to be amplified by the lingering moisture in the air. She frowned and pulled her jacket closed tighter, but it seemed to make no difference. A glance over at the other ghoul only made her shiver more. _He…looks so excited. Like a kid about to open a present. Is that what Renji is to him? Something like a present…?_

"He'll feel better after this," he reassured her, catching her skeptical frown.

"But…why is he upset? What happened?" Miyu watched him from the corner of her eye and saw his grin spread. "…Uta…?"

"Watch."

She looked down at the street from her perch on the rooftop. When he said that he could cheer up her roommate, she was a little hesitant to go with them. It was still odd how they seemed to have become friends without her noticing. Nevertheless, she wanted to help Renji. Seeing him sitting on her floor, refusing to look at anyone or speak, left her feeling colder than even the night air. She went with him, following Uta to the edge of the fourth ward, and reluctantly separated from Renji when told to.

 _What is he planning? I'm still not sure if I can trust Uta. Before this month, we hardly spoke. I don't know him that well. He could still turn on us and try to eat us. Could I fight him off if I really had to? Could I kill him?_ She directed her gaze to the alley below as two men turned in from a corner. Looking closely, she could see that they carried quinque cases. A chill ran down her spine and she looked around desperately for Renji.

Just as Miyu was about to run to search for the pale-haired ghoul, Uta reached over and grabbed her by the arm to keep her there. "Just wait." His voice was very quiet, his eyes still locked on the two figures below. "Don't ruin it for him."

She glanced to the other side of the roof, his words only making her more desperate to find Renji, but she stayed. As she began to scan the alley again, the girl picked up on the voices of the men down below. Her eyes began to widen, her pulse quickening as she listened to their words.

"No sign of any movement yet. Where was it supposed to be?"

"The Pink Spider was seen in the warehouse area before we lost contact. They said it was a girl with bright pink hair and she's a rinkaku. A vicious little punk, from the sound of it. Too bad they didn't get her first; would've made an interesting quinque."

Beside her, Uta was beginning to smile again. "Pink Spider," he whispered, excitement in his tone. "Did you hear that?"

"I-I don't like this. I don't want-" Miyu saw him press a finger to his lips and frowned. She peered down at the men once more, a lock of pink hair falling over her right eye as she watched them look around at their surroundings. _Where's Renji?! How does Uta think that this will cheer him up? I don't understand and I really don't like that I have a CCG nickname now!_ The girl saw movement across the way, around the corner of a building.

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw him emerge and she moved out of reflex. The female ghoul rushed forward as if to get off of the building. She was moving purely out of panic. There was no real thought put forth into this; only the absolute need to help Renji. Before she could plummet headfirst over the side of the rooftop, an arm wrapped around her waist and effortlessly pulled her backwards. She fell onto her back on the still wet surface of the roof and glared up at the blond now sitting on her waist. "I-I can't let him-!"

"You're gonna ruin it," he scolded. Looking down at her, Uta tilted his head. "You want him to feel better, right?" He saw her blush a faint pink and turn her head to the side. She gave him a slight nod. "Don't you want to see him blow off some steam?"

Staring up at Uta, she started to realize the position she was in. Not only was he very close to her, but he was sitting on top of her with his knees bent to either side of her hips. Miyu winced, feeling warm fingertips against her exposed midriff. "Ngh…y-yeah…I want him to feel better," she quietly agreed. His smile made her look away again, a weird feeling erupting in her. _This isn't fear. It's that weird thing again. Bubbly? Fluttery?_

Entertained by her reaction to his closeness, he leaned down. His chest was pressed to hers, his clothed stomach against her bare skin as his fingertips trailed up her abdomen. He brought his lips close to her left ear and heard her breathing hitch. "You could probably cheer him up another way. You want to put a smile on that Raven's face?"

Miyu's hands planted on his shoulders, pushing at him. Thankfully, he leaned back, but still grinned down at the girl. "I…I won't interfere…I guess." She moved to the edge of the rooftop again, tensing when she felt Uta settle beside her. The girl tried to focus on what was happening down below, but it was difficult. The feeling of his warm skin against her stomach made her blush and she had trouble pushing the memory aside.

She felt a drip on the top of her head and frowned. Rain began to patter down around them, forcing her to pull up the hood on her jacket. Now the air felt even colder, but it was quickly forgotten as she saw Renji's kagune burst from his back. She gripped the edge of the roof, watching the wing-like appendages move behind him.

Uta caught the look of amazement on her face and grinned. "He looks really cool, right? You want to try fighting him next?"

"Ah…n-no way! I couldn't beat him!" Miyu leaned a little further to watch Renji rush at his opponents, feeling her pulse speed up. _I haven't seen his kagune since his last fight with Uta. He…looks so powerful!_ Her hand started to slip a little on the wet surface of the roof and she quickly moved to save herself from falling forward.

The male ghoul next to her moved swiftly, getting behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her back to safety. "He's gonna kill them," he whispered, excitement in his tone. "Look at his face. He looks really serious, huh? Like he knows them, right? Like they _took_ something from him. You think he's got a grudge against _all_ humans or just doves?"

"What…?" She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better view through the rain. The expression on Renji's face was unlike any she had seen him make before. His mouth was twisted into a deep scowl, rage ignited in his eyes as he viciously took down one of the investigators. The human's corpse was a mess, blood mixing with the rain and making the pool of crimson spread rapidly at his feet. "Uta-san…what happened to Renji today?"

He leaned forward a little, resting his chin on her shoulder and bringing his face close to hers. There was a pause before he spoke, as if he was considering whether or not to answer her question. Finally, the corners of his lips drew up and he tightened his hold on her waist. "Renji saw something _scary_ today," he stated.

"Something scary? Did you see it, too?" Miyu felt him nod. "What…what was it?"

His red and black eyes had been watching her from the corner of his vision. Now he redirected his gaze to the pale-haired ghoul below just in time to see him kill the other investigator. "I can't tell you. He made me promise not to tell anyone." His fingertips gently pressed at her lower abdomen, feeling her cool, rain-soaked skin beneath his touch. "You're curious, huh? Want to know what it was? Maybe if you give me something good, I'll tell you."

She saw the last human fall and tensed in Uta's hold. "I…can't betray him that way."

"Hm? What do you think I want?" He let go of her and saw her immediately go over the edge of the rooftop. "Miyu-chan?"

Her kagune emerged from her lower back as she leapt down into the alley. All four appendages spread to scrape over the walls, slowing her descent as her eyes narrowed on the human that had tried to slink in to attack. "Renji, move!"

The pale-haired boy moved in time to dodge the man's quinque and was about to counterattack when his eyes were drawn to Miyu. The wind had thrown back her hood and her descent was coming faster now that he was out of the way. Her four kagune were a bright, almost bloody red in the night. The girl's lips were twisted into a furious scowl and her neon pink hair billowed above her as she dropped onto the human's shoulders from above. All of her kagune wrapped around the man, wrapping around his limbs and chest to trap him in place.

"Pink Spider! I'm not going to die tonight! Not at the hands of some bratty little pink-haired punk!" the human snarled.

She lifted an arm and sharply drove her elbow into his face. Miyu repeated the action again and again as her kagune tightened around his limbs. Bones were breaking in the man's body, his face starting to cave in as his breathing came in gurgled sounds. When he stopped struggling, her kagune loosened and she let him fall onto the ground, leaping off of him to avoid being hurt. Breathing hard, she stared down at the corpse in horror. _I just…killed a human…again…_

Renji wiped blood off of his cheek and approached with caution, looking from the dead body to the female ghoul. "…Miyu…"

"I…killed…I killed him…" Tears were filling her dark grey eyes as she sank to her knees in the bloody puddle. "I killed a human." Her stomach churned as she glanced at the corpse and she nearly vomited. She turned away and curled up in a ball, refusing to look at it again. _I wasn't thinking! I wasn't thinking at all! I just…I saw that man about to attack Renji and I couldn't let it happen!_

Standing over her, his expression softened to one of concern and he offered his hand. The girl did not move to accept it. He saw her kagune twitch behind her and for a moment, he wondered if she would attack him. "Miyu, please." Her kagune receded and she looked up at him through her long hair, tears streaming down her slightly flushed cheeks. He lifted her in his arms and looked up as Uta came around the corner.

"I didn't think I'd get to see her fight today," the other boy started. "She's cute when she uses her kagune, right, Renji?"

"I'm…taking her home." He looked down at her again, feeling her tremble. She was obviously shaken by what had happened and he was not about to subject her to more. "It's raining. You should go home, too."

Uta grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Alright. I'll see you both tomorrow, right?" When neither of the other teenagers answered him, he stepped closer. "Right? We can have some fun tomorrow. What? Oh. You're afraid of her getting hurt, aren't you? Renji, you're the protective type, huh? Like _Aki_ was." He licked his lips and shrugged. "Well, I didn't feel like fighting her again anyway."

Miyu anxiously bit at a loose thread on the end of her sleeve, trying to focus on anything besides the dead bodies on the ground and the unnerving blond that seemed to be getting closer. She hardly noticed when Renji began to move and before she realized how far they had gone, they were back at her house.

The girl moved without thinking again, unlocking the front door and then going to grab some towels. She was only vaguely aware of her dog watching from the corner of the main room with her head tilted. Miyu only snapped back into the moment when she saw Renji's soaked shirt clinging to his chest and back. _Damn._ Warmth trickled out of her nose and she quickly turned away, pressing her sleeve to her nose to soak up the blood. _What's wrong with me? I just killed a human and now I'm getting a bloody nose over Renji's shirt being wet?!_

"…Miyu…are you okay…?" He was, of course, watching her frantically try to stop her bleeding nose. "Why did you come down?" he asked, trying to distract her.

She kept her back to him and tried to shuffle her way over, holding out a towel. "I-I just…kind of lost control…when I saw that man try to attack you," the girl admitted. "…I don't know why…but I couldn't handle it…" Miyu waved her arm, trying to get him to take the towel. "Ah…if you want to use the shower first…t-to warm up…um…"

"Why won't you look at me? Are you…mad that I killed them?"

Her shoulders drooped a little and she ran her fingers through her damp, pink hair. "I'm… _embarrassed_ right now…okay? I'm not mad…I'm relieved." She sank to her knees on the floor, still waving her arm to try to get him to take the towel from her. "Renji…you should take the shower first. Please."

He finally took the towel from her hand and stood. "…I'll try to be quick…"

"Just…leave your stuff in the basket. I'll put them in the dryer." Miyu waited until he was walking away before looking at him. Seeing the way his shirt clung to his back made her nose bleed even more. What made it worse was when he looked over his shoulder.


	12. Chapter 12

NeonHorizon: Hn. Out of curiosity...how many of you are for Uta x Miyu? And how many are for Renji x Miyu?

* * *

"She's interesting, isn't she?" He smiled to himself, rummaging around for what he needed. In the past few days, he had been unable to forget her actions that rainy night. Even in the rain, she attacked viciously. It was exciting to think about how powerful she could really be. More than anything, he wanted her to go all out in their next fight, but he knew she was hesitant. She was still cautious around him, as if her brother's warnings still dictated her actions.

"Hideaki's little sister is creepy," another ghoul pointed out.

"Dangerous. If she hurts you again-"

"You think I can't beat her?" Uta looked over, his smile fading. The others quickly averted their eyes and he tilted his head. "Huh? Do you think she might be stronger than me?" he persisted.

"No. She's scary, though."

"Maybe if you're weaker than her." He turned back to his task and his smile returned as he thought of her expression that night. When she watched Renji fight, she looked amazed; like a kid seeing fireworks for the first time. _I want to see that again_ , he thought. _I want to see her make that face again for me._ He shoved some items into a bag and looked over again. "Don't you think she's cute?"

They turned toward him, appearing unsure. When they finally answered, it was with silent nods. Uta ran a hand over his hair, checking over the items again. "I think she's pretty cute when she looks scared. Right? You saw her face when she fought the doves." Again, they nodded. His smile blossomed into a grin and he closed the bag. "Wouldn't it be great to hear her scream? She still hasn't screamed; even when Renji was almost ambushed. She's so quiet. I just want to hear her scream…just once."

"She'll scream if she's hurt."

He had started to get up, planning to leave, but paused. His grin spread a little wider and he looked at the others, his red and black eyes lit up with amusement. "Yeah, but there are a lot of ways to make someone scream, right? What do you think? What kind of scream do you think she'll make first?" He snickered and started for the door. "I'm going out."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu stared at the bottle for a long moment, listening to her stomach growl. The red liquid inside was thick and dark. She knew it was blood. Fresh human blood, gifted to her by a customer. The other bottles had been carefully put away, but she wanted to test something with this one. Renji was out of the house for a while so she would at least save herself some embarrassment if it did not work.

 _It just looks like blood. It's red. It's dark. Just like the blood of an animal or anything else, right? Blood is blood._ She nervously bit at her thumbnail, studying it closely. This had been going on for the past twenty minutes. She was trying to gain the courage to try drinking it, just to see if she could. A hand started to reach for the bottle, but paused a few inches away from it. _Blood is blood. Humans eat bloody meat sometimes and when they do, they inevitably drink the animal's blood. Even if it's just a little. Right?_

The dog was lying on the floor beside her, staring up at the girl with golden eyes full of curiosity. "I know…I'm being ridiculous. This was a payment. I should drink it. I'm just…not sure if my mental defect will kick in," she told the canine. "Neechan. Ghouls need to eat and drink just like anything else. I need to eat and drink. So why am I having so much trouble? Why was I born like this?"

The door opened, making her jump and causing the dog to start barking. The scruffy animal got up from the floor and padded over to investigate the visitor, her bark turning from anger to excitement when she recognized Uta. He greeted Miyu with a grin and kicked the door closed behind him as he entered the house. "Where's Renji?"

"He's…out. Running an errand," she replied. The girl felt a sudden surge of adrenaline from Uta's appearance in her home and decided to use it. Gripping the bottle of blood, she popped the top off of it and began drinking. She saw him watching from the corner of her eye and felt a faint blush creep onto her cheeks.

When the bottle was drained and she set it down, Uta tilted his head. "Was it that good? I've never seen someone chug it like that."

Miyu slouched and absently toyed with a lock of her bright pink hair. "…I've never had it before…not like that…" she quietly confessed.

He pressed a fingertip to the rim of the bottle, tipping it a little and peering down the neck. "Smells good. Got any more?"

"Y-yeah, I have a few more. I can…" The girl lifted her gaze from the tabletop and found him staring at her intently. _What…is he looking at? It's kind of unsettling when his eyes look that way. Like he's trying to decide if I'm food or not._ Turning her head, she took a deep breath to try to calm her racing heart. "I can get a bottle for you…if you want."

His lips twitched and he leaned closer. "You're kind of a messy drinker, huh, Miyu-chan?" The tone he used was teasing and inevitably made her look his way out of curiosity. He leaned over the table now, a hand reaching out. "You've got some blood on your lips." As he spoke, his thumb swiped over her lower lip to wipe it off. Uta brought it to his own mouth, licking it away and grinning. "You don't look like you'd be so messy."

Heat spread through her face and she was positive that he could hear the pounding of her heartbeat. "…what…?"

"Are you working today?" Uta looked down at the table's other coverings; blank stamps, pots of ink, and carving tools.

"Oh…um….yeah. I have some orders to fill."

He rummaged in the bag that he had brought with him, but paused when he realized that she was watching. "Um…is it okay if I work with you?"

Miyu tried to see into the bag from over the table, but it was too low. _What is he saying? Does he want to help me make a stamp or something?_ She shrugged and was about to ask, but he spoke again before she could.

"I'm making something and I wanted somewhere quiet to work," he started. "Oh. Can I ask you something?"

A little taken aback by his behavior, she stared for a moment. "Ah…y-yeah, sure."

"I want a stamp. Can you make one for me?"

Seeing him make such a cute, almost innocent expression made her flush pink. "A stamp? So…like…your name? Or do you want a set?"

"My name. And can you do it today while I'm here?"

"I…guess so." Miyu awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck, slightly flattered and slightly unnerved. "Um…your name, then. What's your full name?"

The blonde had gone back to rummaging in his bag and paused, frowning. A stray lock of dyed hair fell over his face as he glanced in her direction. "I just need it to say "Uta". Nothing else." He only began moving again when he saw her pick up her carving tool and a blank stamp.

Miyu bit her lip as she started work on the stamp, still feeling a little uncertain. _Why did he suddenly decide that he wants a stamp? And what is he working on?_ She heard something rustle on the table and glanced up, briefly catching sight of something dark and oddly shaped. _Curved…like horns, sort of. I know that some of the others wear masks when they fight doves or hunt. Is he making a mask?_

He lifted the weird bundle of material in his hands and produced some tools from his bag to begin working on it, seemingly unaware of her staring. His red and black eyes narrowed a little in concentration as he applied some stitches here and there, turning the creation in his hands to examine his work. When his lips twisted into a deep frown, it was clear that he was fully enthralled.

Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she lowered her gaze. _I shouldn't stare, but…it's like seeing a side of him I've never seen before. Aki-nii kind of built him up as a monster, I guess. I always saw him as this powerful guy that I shouldn't talk to. I thought that if I was anywhere near him, he'd kill me._ After seeing his expression while he worked, she felt a little less nervous. Her tongue absently swiped over her lower lip as she focused on her carving. It still puzzled her that he had gotten so close before.

"Is Renji alright now?"

She jumped a little, the tool slipping and almost falling from her hand. Miyu glanced across the table at Uta, catching a hint of a smile on his lips. "Ah. Y-yeah. He seems like he's back to normal," she replied. "So, um…you know why he was upset."

The smile grew and he met her eyes. "You want to know, right? It was weird, wasn't it? He totally shut down. I didn't think he could look that weak. Wasn't it a little sad?"

Remembering her roommate sitting on the floor in the kitchen, refusing to make eye contact, brought on a heavy feeling in her chest. She bowed her head and bit the inside of her cheek. "…yeah…it was…upsetting…"

Uta leaned forward a little, tipping his head to the side and trying to get a better look at her face. "Miyu-chan, you want to know, huh? You're curious about it. What would make someone as strong as him feel that weak? I don't really get it. I guess maybe I'm not emotional enough to get it."

"What happened to him?" Her voice was very soft as she spoke, trying to hide the sadness and fear. _How does he know what happened? He was there, wasn't he? Did he try to hurt Renji?_ This thought brought forth a spike of anger and she clutched the carving tool even tighter. Although it made her mad, she was not certain what she would do even if he had hurt her roommate. Fighting Uta could mean death.

"He saw a corpse." It was said with nonchalance and he saw her frown deepen. "Huh? Did you think it would be more interesting? It was a guy's dead body. Renji got upset when he saw it and said we had to go bury it. Really, no one would've found it where it was. It probably would've been fine if we left it there. He just wanted us to put it in the ground though. I guess he might've seen something like that before. Maybe that's why he got upset."

 _A corpse?_ Miyu sighed and set down her work. Running her fingers through her hair, she tried to calm down. _See? Just a corpse. He's fine. I don't know why he didn't just take the meat off of it, but…well maybe it reminded him of someone._ Shaking her head again, she slouched. "…Renji…probably lost someone so…"

"I didn't like seeing him that way." There was a faint hint of anger in his tone, but it was quickly replaced with amusement as he caught Miyu's confused expression. "He's so strong; it isn't right when he's upset. Right, Miyu-chan? So did you cheer him up some more when you got home?"

Immediately, she was reminded of her bloody nose incident and bowed her head to hide the heat rising to her cheeks. "Ah. I-I don't…we aren't…" A warm hand cupped her chin and lifted her face, making her look into his eyes.

His lips stretched into a grin and he leaned closer. "You're so cute when you get embarrassed. It's different now though, isn't it? You used to be so shy and hide behind your brother. Without Aki, it's different, huh? You're actually blushing. What? Are you _nervous_?"

Miyu froze in place, her hands tightly gripping the stamp and tool. Staring directly into his eyes, she felt anxiety twisting at her stomach. She knew that she was beginning to sweat and she found herself once again questioning what she was feeling. _Is it fear? It doesn't feel like normal fear. This isn't like before. It's like he said; this is different. What is this?_

Drawing even closer, he seemed to see something in her gaze that he particularly liked. The smile evolved into a satisfied grin. "Do you like white or black better?"

"Wh-what…?" She saw his free hand lift a pair of thread spools; one black and one white. Pulse pounding in her ears, she nervously licked her lips. "Um…black…I guess."

"Black, huh? You like darker colors?" Uta released her face and frowned down at the two spools. "What did Aki like?"

"He would've picked white." She leaned back, her skin still warm from his touch. The twisting in her stomach was accompanied by a heat and she was a little unsettled by her body reacting this way to his touch. _He's dangerous. I can't let it happen again._

Holding up the black thread, his smile returned. "This one, then. I want it to be perfect. And you like darker colors, right, Miyu-chan?"


	13. Chapter 13

Rain was falling outside, pattering gently against the wooden boards that covered her bedroom window. It was relaxing and she was glad that she was able to stay indoors that day. Though the same could not be said for her roommate. He had disappeared that morning, before the storm began, and had yet to return home.

She was settled on her bed, enjoying a mug of hot coffee as she skimmed the pages of a book. A certain thought was beginning to bother her, needling at her mind until she finally sighed and set down her mug. _What if he doesn't come back?_ She had always known that this was a possibility. Each time he left the house, he left with his bag and the only outfit that he seemed to own. If he left, there would be no trace that he had ever been there. It would be easy for him to leave.

 _I shouldn't think like this. It isn't as if that hasn't happened to me before. Aki-nii left me. I lived alone for almost three months before Renji showed up. So I know that I can live alone. I just…feel a pain in my chest. It hurts when I think about him leaving._ Miyu released a sigh and finished her coffee. The warm beverage did help to distract her for a moment, forcing her to think instead about how she needed to pick up some more instant coffee at the convenience store.

Despite her best efforts, the girl was now unable to focus on her book. Her thoughts were being consumed with the notion that he might never return. Without a goodbye or any words whatsoever, Renji could vanish. She realized that he probably had his own business to attend to. He was not from the fourth ward and no one in their right mind would travel there and then settle in to live there. It was a scary place.

Miyu slid down, lying on her back and pulling the pillow around to hug to her chest. _I can't tell him what to do. If he does come back today, I shouldn't ask him where he went. I shouldn't even talk to him about this. He's his own person; he can do whatever he wants._ She closed her eyes and hugged the pillow, thinking about all that had happened since his appearance in the fourth ward. He had changed her without even realizing it. She knew that she was no longer the meek, terrified person she had been after Hideaki left.

 _We're just friends_ , she thought as she turned onto her side. _I think. Or are we just roommates? What does he think our relationship is? Or was? I can't ask him. Even if he comes back…I can't ask him that._ Miyu tried to push away thoughts of his kiss, tried to make her heart stop racing. She wanted desperately for the blush to leave her cheeks as she remembered his first night in her house. The fierceness in his gaze and the way he had pinned her against the wall.

Flopping onto her back again, she reached a hand to ruffle her vibrant locks. Heat had begun to collect in her lower abdomen and she knew that she had to stop thinking about him. The second that she decided to focus instead on the rain, she opened her eyes and found them meeting a pair of grey eyes. Rain water dripped from his hair onto her cheek, making her realized just how close he was standing to the side of her bed. Her face went from pink to red and she held the pillow tighter. "…you…came back…?" she mumbled.

Renji stared down at her, a little taken aback by her words. Rain was still dripping from his hair and he knew that his clothes were soaked. His intention had been to ask her if she had anything he could cover up with until his clothes were dry, but now found himself distracted. The flushed color of her face was a dead giveaway that either something had happened in his absence or she was thinking about something unusual. Whatever it was, it was clear that his return had taken her by surprise.

Frowning at her words, he glanced away and tugged at the strap of his bag. "Miyu…why do you sound surprised? Did you think I was leaving?" A look down at her showed tears shining in her dark grey eyes. They pooled and ran from the corners, trailing down her flushed skin. He felt a tightness in his chest as he slipped the bag off his shoulder.

Miyu heard his bag hit the floor and was about to ask what was wrong, but went silent when he started to slip his shirt off. Her heart began to hammer in her chest and she worried that her nose would start bleeding again. _What is he doing?_ She buried her face in the pillow and heard the wet fabric hit the floor. "R-Renji…um…I know that question sounded rude…I just…I was overthinking and…"

"Miyu." He saw her bury her face deeper into the pillow. "I'm cold."

"Ah. If you want to use the shower, go ahead. I'll find something warm for you to wear until your clothes are dry." She turned onto her left side, facing away from him and trying to steady her breathing. "Sorry…if I seem kind of weird. I'm sorry. I just…I don't think I like being alone…" She expected to hear him walking out of her room. She expected to have a moment to calm down. Instead, she found a hand gripping her shoulder and trying to turn her over again.

The girl thrashed, fighting with him to try to keep her face hidden, but ultimately lost. She found herself flat on her back, the pillow tossed aside and her roommate sitting on her waist. Another rain droplet struck her cheek, cold against her flesh until a warm hand moved to wipe it away. She stared up at him, her pulse so hard and fast that it almost hurt, and winced when his other hand planted against the bed beside her face. _His skin…feels so warm. What is this? What are we doing? How did we…?_

His eyes narrowed with intensity as he leaned down, his face lingering above hers. "You…thought that I'd leave you?" The female ghoul nodded once. "Why would I leave you? Miyu…you're kind…and warm. You're comforting. You're…strong and you're passionate. Why would I leave you?" She started to tremble as he drew a little closer. The heat was returning to her face and he could feel it radiating off of her cheeks. "If I leave, I'm taking you with me. Do you understand? I won't take "no" for an answer."

Fresh tears ran from the corners of her eyes as she stared up at him. "…Renji…I don't know what to say, but…" Miyu bit her lip, feeling his thumb wipe at the tears. "What… _are_ we? I don't know what you consider us. You're…quiet. You're hard to read. But you're strong. Stronger than me. You're…resourceful. And even if you don't know it, you're considerate. I…I really…didn't know what I'd do…when I started thinking about you leaving. It hurt…"

"I won't leave you." His tone was soft, his voice almost pained. The boy leaned down to her ear, warm breath gently passing over her skin. "I couldn't leave you. Not now."

Miyu tensed, feeling his lips against the tender flesh below her ear. She subconsciously reached up, her fingers threading into his pale hair as she felt him latch onto the side of her neck. _What is he doing? What…is this?_ When he came closer, his chest pressed against hers and she could feel the rain drops that lingered on his skin soaking through her shirt. Her stomach was touching his with no barrier, her skin chilled by his.

The pale-haired ghoul leaned back, bringing his face away from her neck and staring down at her flushed skin. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't…don't apologize." Trembling fingers drew from his hair and hesitantly moved toward his cheek.

He gripped her wrist tightly and kept his eyes on hers as he pressed her fingers to his skin. "…thank you…"

Miyu felt a smile pull at the corners of her lips, more tears beginning to blur her vision. "Renji…if you go anywhere…" She paused, feeling an anxious twisting in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes closed, unable to look at him as she tried to muster up the courage to finish her sentence. "Renji, wherever you go…I'm going to follow."

This seemed to almost startle him. There was a moment of silence before his lips covered hers. The girl's fingers began to trail through his hair again and she leaned up a little to try to kiss back. The fluttery sensation that she had felt around Uta was beginning to form, but more intensely. It grew and she started to feel a heat rushing through her body. Just when she thought that she could not handle any more, an abrupt pounding at the front door made her jolt.

The kiss was broken and both ghouls looked through her bedroom doorway at the front door. It was locked, but neither was anticipating a visitor. To her dismay, Renji got off of her and fell onto his back beside her with a frustrated sigh. Miyu sat up as the pounding persisted, followed now by a female voice yelling her name and complaining about the rain. "…Itori-chan…"

"I'm going to shower." He grabbed his shirt from the floor and walked out of the room without another word.

 _We're more than roommates_ , she decided. The pink-haired girl got up and left her bedroom, reluctantly going to the front door. _I wish that we had more time together…like that. I've never felt so giddy before. I want to laugh, almost. I shouldn't though; he'll think that I'm weird._

The door was opened to Itori, who greeted her with a frown. The short-haired girl was shivering, wearing only a tank top and a pair of jeans, her arms wrapped around herself as she glared. "What gives?! You know it's pouring out here, right, Kurotani?"

"S-sorry. Come in." Miyu went to grab a towel from the basket of clean laundry and brought it to Itori. "I…didn't know that you were coming over today."

"I heard that you made a stamp for Uta so I wanted to ask for one, too," she replied, drying her hair. She wrapped the towel around her shoulders and shivered, settling on a cushion at the table. "Got any coffee?"

"It's just instant…and I don't have a lot left."

"Instant's fine. Coffee is coffee. So what's up? What took you so long to answer the door? Were you and Ren finally getting it on or something?"

Instantly, Miyu's face turned bright red. She nearly dropped the container of instant coffee and heard Itori laughing in the next room. "N-no! Why would you-?!"

"Oh, come on! It's not that weird, is it? You live together and he's not bad to look at. It'd be a waste if you guys didn't do something, right?" she teased.

"No. No way." The pink-haired girl made three cups of coffee and carried the mugs to the table. "Here. It's a dark roast, but-"

"Coffee is coffee," Itori repeated. She took a few sips, pausing to blow on the coffee and glancing across at Miyu. "So, seriously, you two haven't done anything?"

"S-seriously…we…haven't done that."

"Kind of a waste." Itori grinned and swirled her coffee a little. "Pink Spider~ What a cutesy name for the CCG to give you! Uta said that it suits you though!"

Miyu slouched and released a frustrated sigh. "…Pink Spider…"

"So what's going to happen when you run out of people to sell stamps to? I mean, eventually, you'll run out of people that need a new stamp. So you won't be getting paid and you won't be getting organs. Would you start hunting or scavenging? Would your mental defect let you do that though? And then with money, you'd probably have to get a job, right?" Itori laughed, shaking her head. "I can't imagine you getting a real job though! Like, can you imagine working in a café?! Ugh!"

 _She's right._ Miyu stared down into her cup, anxiety making her stomach churn. She suddenly doubted that she could keep the coffee down even if she took a sip. _What will I do when the money stops coming? More importantly, when the organs stop coming? I could starve. I can't rely on Renji to feed me that way every time I'm hungry._ Running the pad of her thumb along the curved handle, she frowned. "I…hadn't thought about it."

"You know, scavenging only gets you so far, even if you don't have a mental defect like yours. Food would be pretty hard to find in the fourth ward if you're just scavenging. And you're so timid; I doubt you could _steal_ , right?" Itori leaned forward a little, her grin growing. "It'd be cool to marry a rich ghoul, huh? Think of it! They'd take care of you for your whole life!"

"I…couldn't do that. What if I don't like them? And I wouldn't want to live that way," she admitted. Miyu heard the shower turn off and bit the inside of her cheek.

"So what? You pretend to like them! You kiss them on the cheek and tell them you love them and then you go off by yourself and scrub your face. You'd have some extra cash at least." She rolled her eyes, seeing the other girl's frown. "Okay, so what about Uta?"

"…Uta…? What about him?"

"I mean, he'd at least keep you fed if you'd give him a chance."


	14. Chapter 14

It had been a while since her last visit to her friend's house. Thankfully, both Mitsuki and Keiko were free that day so the three ghouls were able to meet at Mitsuki's house to spend time together. Miyu felt relaxed in this atmosphere. She was doing something that she had done before Hideaki left. It was something that had once been normal for her.

Of course, the girls had a lot of questions for her and most of them revolved around the strange scent lingering on her hair and clothes. The scent of a male ghoul. The two speculated, at first, that it was Uta. When Keiko remarked that she might be dating another guy, Mitsuki quickly dismissed the idea and claimed that Miyu was afraid of men.

 _Am I? Or…was I? I was nervous around men, but never actually afraid, right? Maybe I was a little afraid of Uta though._ She flashed a smile at her friends as she and Keiko got ready to leave. "You know…I really missed this," she admitted.

Mitsuki rolled her eyes. "Kurotani, you need to visit more! I don't know why you think you need to live like a hermit just because Hideaki is gone! Come for a sleepover next week! You, too, Keiko-chan! It'll be like old times!"

"That sounds fun." Miyu stepped outside into the grey afternoon and stopped dead in her tracks. There was a figure perched on the fence at the end of the walkway, out near the sidewalk. He had his back to her, seemingly distracted by something. She stood there for a moment, not quite sure of how to react. _Why is he here?_

"Heeey, Uta! What's up? Are you here to escort the lovely Kurotani?" Keiko teased.

"Hm?" He turned toward the house and grinned. "Miyu-chan, you're finally done?"

"What? Um…yeah. I was about to go home," she agreed. The girl walked to the sidewalk with Keiko and the boy hopped down from his seat.

"I want to come over and watch a movie," he announced. "You don't have work, right? Itori said that you haven't been getting as many orders."

Feeling a bit awkward now, Keiko rubbed the back of her neck and frowned. "Okay, so I guess I'll leave you to it, Kurotani. See you next week for the sleepover."

Miyu winced and shoved her hands into her pockets. She turned away from Uta, starting off down the sidewalk with him following. Her thoughts were, unfortunately, on what Itori had said to her the last time they spoke. _She said that I should give Uta a chance. A chance at what?_

He came up beside her, smiling when he saw her face turn pink. "Sleepover?"

"Ah…w-well, it's just…something that we used to do. Before Aki-nii left. Um…we would go to Mitsuki-chan's house or Keiko-chan's house and sleep there."

"Sounds kind of boring. Just sleeping. You did other stuff right?"

She ran her fingers through her pink locks, pausing when they caught on her braid. "Just…talking. Or watching movies."

Uta's smile started to fade and he reached up, fidgeting with the piercing in his bottom lip. "Still sounds boring. What about when a _guy_ sleeps over?"

Goose bumps rose on her skin and she bowed her head. "…girls…don't have sleepovers with guys…"

"But Renji sleeps at your house every night," he pointed out.

"Th-that's not the same thing. I mean…that's…living together. Not a sleepover."

"So you like it though? Living together? Is it fun?" The excitement was starting to leak into his voice as his smile returned.

Miyu's lips curled downward as she considered his question. _Is it fun? It isn't bad. I like having Renji around. I know that I can't live alone again; just the thought made me start to tear up._ A glance over showed that he was eagerly awaiting her answer. "I guess…if I had to describe it…you get really close with someone really quickly."

"So you know him pretty well then?" he persisted. She nodded and he reached over, gently grabbing onto her hand. His long, slender fingers laced with hers and the boy grinned. "You like him?"

"Wh-what?! Um…I-I don't…I don't know. We're friends and…um..." The girl's blush went from pink to red and she ran trembling fingers through her hair.

"He's cute, isn't he? The faces he makes sometimes and the way he reacts to stuff." Uta continued on beside her for a while, only speaking again when they neared the girl's house. "You're pretty cute, too," he remarked as she opened the door.

Her blush had started to fade as they neared the house, but now returned full force. She quickly tried to hide it behind her hair as she caught Renji's puzzled gaze directed at her. "I…brought a visitor."

"Renji, what are you doing?" Uta crossed the room to join the pale-haired ghoul on the floor, looking at the book that the boy had been flipping through.

"Um…I'm…going to set up the television for the movie," Miyu announced. She entered her room and took a shaky breath, trying to calm down. _What exactly…? He called me cute? I'm cute?! But he called Renji cute, too! He is though! Ngh! Damn it! Why did he say that? What am I supposed to say to that?!_

She knelt on the floor in front of the shelf, skimming the various titles and trying to decide what would be best. A horror movie sounded good, but she found herself wondering about reactions. When Uta said that Renji's reactions were cute, she started to wonder if he was right and that made her wonder about Uta's reactions.

Running her fingertip along the movie titles, she paused at one in particular and felt the corner of her mouth twitch upward. Miyu absently licked her lips, trying to imagine how he might react. She pulled it from the shelf and nodded to herself. As she set it to play, she felt eyes on her and looked over her shoulder.

"Was this Aki's book?" Uta flipped the pages in the book that Renji had handed him, curiously looking at the illustrations.

"Oh…yeah. Aki-nii had a lot of books. He took most of them when he left, but he let me have a few of them." She felt anxiety twist in the pit of her stomach as he approached. "Uta-san…what book is that?"

"The cover says "Exotic Animal Encyclopedia". Can I borrow this?"

"…you can read…" In the reflection on the screen, she saw him nod while still looking at the pages. "Can you write?" Again, he nodded, but this time he looked up from the book to study her kneeling figure. "Uta-san…why did you want me to make a stamp for you? If you can read and write, then you don't need one."

He smiled brightly and walked further into the room, approaching Miyu's side. "I wanted something special from you." Uta sat next to her on the floor, setting the book aside. "Oh. I made you something to pay you back." He dug in his pocket and grinned, withdrawing something that glinted in the light.

Miyu stared at the object, a little confused. It seemed to be several threads braided over and over until they formed a thick, dark cord. The threads had a small, metal object entwined in them that she slowly recognized as a piercing. "What…is this?"

Uta instantly seemed disappointed. "It's a necklace. Um…I'll put it on you. You'll see. It's going to look cool on you, Miyu." He moved behind her before she could refuse and put her vibrant pink hair over her shoulder. The cord was fastened into a tight knot at the back of her neck, letting the necklace hang loosely enough to not choke her. "There."

"Ah…th-thank you…?" She saw his face in her peripheral and tensed, feeling his chin rest on her shoulder. Her eyes lowered to the floor beneath her, the girl nervously toying with a hole in the knee of her stockings. _I can feel the heat of his chest against my back. Why am I blushing? He's scary. Right? So why is my face burning like this? Is it just because he's a boy?_

"Looks cute." His voice was soft, his lips next to her left ear. "Huh? Oh, what's this?" Fingertips gently pressed to the side of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. "This looks kind of like a bruise, but it's different, isn't it? I think I see teeth marks."

"Ngh!" She tensed, feeling him lightly tap at the bruise. Her pulse was beginning to race, a blend of fear and excitement coursing through her veins. "Uta-san? What…?" Another hand trailed up her side, tracing an agonizingly slow path up to her ribs. "Nnnh…"

"Doesn't your stomach get cold? Your skin feels really smooth though."

"Why…are you…?" Miyu bit her lower lip, stifling a yelp as her head was tipped back, exposing her neck more. Warm breath fanned over the bruise and the girl's back arched in response. _What is he doing? My heart…feels like it's going to pound out of my chest! I don't know how much more I can take!_

The sound of approaching footsteps quickly changed their position. The boy sat back against the edge of her bed, an arm wrapped around her to keep her against his chest. He tilted his head back to look at the doorway, smiling. "Renji, we almost started without you."

The pale-haired ghoul saw the red hue of Miyu's face and frowned. He sat beside them on the floor, but kept almost a foot worth of distance between them. "What are we watching?"

"Um…it's a…romantic comedy." Her stomach did flips when she saw the confusion flicker in Renji's eyes. _I'm going to regret this. I can already feel it._ Uta's other arm slid around her as well, a hand resting on her bare stomach. She tensed beneath his touch, a rush of heat moving through her.

The film began and everyone was quiet. Her plan to observe Uta's reactions was ruined by him holding her; she was unable to see his face or even pick up on where he was actually looking. Needless to say, she was a little disappointed. She had little time to think about the disappointment, though. Soon she was trying hard to focus on keeping her breathing steady and not think about the warm chest against her back or the arms wrapped so snugly around her. The hand that was on her stomach, fingertips gently pressing at her tender skin. The warm breath against her ear when he leaned down.

"...stop it…" The quiet command came from beside them and both ghouls looked over at Renji. He was no longer looking at the television. His gaze was fixed upon the other two teenagers and it was clear that he was displeased.

"But she makes such cute faces." Uta saw how red her face was and grinned. "You're not used to this? Doesn't Renji-?"

"I said to stop. Please."

To her amazement, Uta released her and she moved to sit on Renji's other side. She drew her knees to her chest and took a deep breath to calm herself. _What would have happened if Renji wasn't here? He…said that I looked cute. The_ girl felt warmth against her shoulder and realized that her roommate had moved closer to her. "…thanks…"

A few minutes passed in silence as the three continued to watch the movie. No one really reacted to it. She was too nervous, Renji seemed distracted, and Uta was just quietly observing it without appearing to really care. The peace was shattered when he abruptly spoke up again. "Are you afraid of me?"

"What?" Renji looked over, puzzled by the question.

"Not you. Miyu, are you afraid of me? You always act so nervous around me. I could feel your heart beating, you know. It was beating pretty fast." Uta leaned forward a little, looking around Renji at the female ghoul.

"I…I just…can't help it. I'm not afraid; I'm just…nervous," she confessed.

"Why do I make you nervous? You think I want to eat you?" The blond saw her wince and a smirk tugged at his lips. "You think I'll eat you, right? I mean, it'd make me pretty strong if I did. I could probably even beat Renji if I ate you. I don't want to though. If I ate you, it'd be a waste. You're pretty cool, Miyu."

 _When did he drop the –chan? And…did he just call me "cool"?_ Biting at her lip, she shrugged and stared down at the floor beneath her. "I just…get nervous."

"Is it because of Aki?" He leaned even closer, now on his hands and knees in front of Renji, but facing Miyu. His body managed to block the television screen from the pale-haired ghoul, forcing Renji to pay attention to what was happening between the other two. "What did Aki say about me anyway?"

"He…said that you were really strong…and I should stay away from you. But he said that about a lot of guys…he really didn't want me to get into the same situation as his girlfriend…" she explained. "He…also said that you could kill me…if I challenged you."

"Maybe, but…that would be a waste, too." Uta sighed and sat back, frowning to himself. "Aki really said that, huh? He really was overprotective."


	15. Chapter 15

"Don't you have anything cuter?" Itori glanced over her shoulder at Miyu, who was sitting on the bed with a frown. "You don't have any shirts that aren't cropped. What's up with that? I mean, you've got a nice stomach, but you should show more skin than just that!"

Running her fingers over the braid in her hair, the other girl shrugged. "It's so my kagune won't rip my shirt."

"What? Okay, there's got to be a story here. What happened to traumatize you into just wearing crop tops?" The short-haired girl turned away from the dresser, her hands on her hips as she looked at her friend. "Or are you really that paranoid?"

"When I was a kid…I was around eleven, I think…Aki-nii wanted to go to a book store. We hadn't been on our own for very long so we were still kind of naïve. He left me in the picture book section and went to look for something. A man came up to me and said that he knew my dad. He said that my dad had told him about me and he wanted to take me to my dad. I…was a dumb child. Our parents had just disappeared so…I went with him because I thought he was telling the truth

"When we got out, he grabbed my arm and started pulling me. He took me to an alley and…that was the first time I used my kagune. The first time…that I killed a human." Miyu slouched, remembering what had followed. The lecture from Hideaki. "My kagune ripped my shirt in the back and Aki-nii was really mad. He had to let me wear his coat to hide the rips and…he had to harvest the meat from the man. We weren't even hungry, but…"

Itori grinned. "You're more hardcore than I thought, Kurotani! Your first kill when you were eleven? Wait. So where were your parents?"

"They just…disappeared. They didn't come home one day. Aki-nii knew that we had to move on so…he packed my bag for me and we left." The memory made her feel cold inside. _I wish I hadn't gone with that man. I wish I could take back what I did. Aki-nii said that it was better that the man died, but…I killed him._

"So what's with the shorts and stockings? I mean, they look cool, but wouldn't you rather look cute? You should try something sexy once in a while." Itori returned to rummaging in the dresser and beamed, finding something particularly soft. "Oooh! Hey, what's this? This is kind of cute."

Miyu raised her eyes and felt a blush rise to her cheeks. "Ah…that's…um…w-well it's for sleeping! It's not something you wear outside! I-I've never worn that in front of anyone! Not even Renji!"

This immediately drew a laugh from the other girl. "Whoa, slow down there! Interesting that you'd say something like _that_ , Kurotani! I guess I shouldn't be surprised though; his scent is all over your bed."

She glanced toward the door, seeing that it was still closed. Nonetheless, she was nervous to have Itori say something while he was in the house. When she looked back to Itori, she saw the girl holding up the nightgown and grinning. "Ah…what?"

"You should wear this tonight! Come on, it's going to look super cute!"

"No…no way! I don't like showing that much skin in front of people, okay? I just have that because it's comfortable to sleep in!"

The other girl narrowed her eyes and stepped closer, still holding the nightgown. "It's a sleepover. This is for sleeping in? So wear it. I mean, I brought something cute to wear, too. It's not like you'll be the only one."

Miyu shook her head. "No. I just…I can't." She nervously started to fidget with the braid again, not wanting to imagine how embarrassing it would be to be seen in her nightgown. She still had reservations about the sleepover in general, but it was hard to refuse when Uta made up his mind about it. When the piece of clothing was tossed over her head, she grimaced and began to protest, but her words quickly turned to a cry of alarm when she felt hands at the edge of her shirt. "Itori-chan, no!"

The door slammed open and Renji saw the short-haired girl trying to forcibly pull off Miyu's shirt. A faint heat rushed to his face when he realized that she had almost succeeded; the fabric was bunched up beneath her arms and neck, exposing everything below. He quickly covered his eyes and gripped the door with his free hand. "Stop it."

"What?! I'm just trying to-! Are you seriously covering your eyes? You've got a cute girl practically half-naked in front of you and you cover your eyes?" Itori demanded.

"What's going on?" Uta tried to look into the room, but Renji swiftly backed into him and pushed him back. The door slammed shut again and the two could be heard talking outside of the room.

Miyu struggled to try to pull her shirt back down, her face burning with embarrassment. "I-I didn't want anyone to see that much!"

"What's the problem? You _like_ him, don't you? Why wouldn't you want him to look at you? Let him see what he could be having, right?" Itori raised an eyebrow when she saw tears of humiliation in her friend's eyes. "Kurotani, don't be such a prude! Take it off! I'm not saying you have to wear it all night; just once in front of the boys. The sooner you do it, the sooner I'll leave you alone."

"F-fine…just for a minute." Miyu narrowed her eyes as she turned away from Itori to change clothes. _He saw. Renji saw me. He saw my chest._ Her heart started to race as she attempted to shake the thought from her head. Slipping the clothing on over her head, she could feel butterflies in her stomach. Her hands trembled with every movement and the girl dreaded leaving her room.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"What were they doing?" Uta finally asked. The two had been sitting in silence at the table since the incident, waiting for whatever was happening to finish.

He felt heat rush to his face, remembering what he saw. "…it's…not important…"

"You're blushing though. What was it?" The blonde stared across at him intently, his red and black gaze unblinking. When it was obvious that Renji intended to keep it a secret, Uta rolled his eyes and fell onto his back on the floor. "So where do you sleep? Aki's door is always closed. Is that where you're staying?"

"No…that would be disrespectful to Hideaki." Renji frowned, unable to even imagine such a thing. After seeing the older ghoul's corpse, he found it difficult to keep using Hideaki's old blanket and pillow. Something about it felt disrespectful, but he could not bring himself to explain this to Miyu.

"You think he'd be upset about something like that?" Uta pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked at Renji from over the side of the table. "I think he'd be more upset about you being with Miyu." The corner of his mouth lifted. "He'd be really mad."

"…you think he wouldn't approve of me…?"

"He wouldn't approve of anyone. Pretty sure that Aki had some kind of sister complex. He didn't want her to talk to guys and if he thought someone was looking at her, he tried to challenge them to a fight. But…he wasn't really strong enough for that kind of thing so he always lost."

The pale-haired boy frowned and lowered his gaze to the table. "You mean…he didn't want her to talk to _you_. And if he saw you looking at her-"

"Aki really didn't like me," Uta interrupted. "He never talked to me unless he thought I was looking at her and then he would act like it was a crime. But it's different now. I can talk to her all I want. I can do whatever I want. Now that he's gone."

 _He killed Hideaki._ It was not the first time that this thought popped into Renji's head, but he did not want to believe it. The thought of someone taking Miyu's brother from her over something so small made his blood boil. _He's strong though. What if it was an accident? He doesn't seem remorseful. He doesn't look like he cares at all._ Lifting his eyes back to Uta's, he shook his head. "You shouldn't talk about him that way."

"Oh?" Uta seemed to consider his words for a moment and tilted his head. "Renji, you look so serious. You didn't even know him. So what was Itori doing to Miyu?"

A little taken aback at how quickly the conversation had turned, he was forced to look away and felt that familiar heat in his face. It spread now as he remembered the sight of Miyu's shirt pulled up, her pale stomach, ribs, and bust exposed. Her bust was still covered by a faded pink bra, but he had seen enough. The warmth rushed through his body and he shook his head again. "I…don't want to talk about it."

The other boy sat up a little more, leaning across the table. "I didn't think you could make a face like that. It's cute."

He looked toward Miyu's door, wondering what they might be talking about. The last time the two girls spoke, he remembered Itori saying something about her giving Uta a chance and he would keep her fed. Renji had no doubt that Uta could supply her with fresh organ meat. He knew that it was probably selfish, but he did not want to lose Miyu. Especially after the night she promised to follow him.

The bedroom door opened and Itori stepped out, grinning. She had changed into sleepwear; a rather low-cut tank top and very short shorts. "Come on! Don't be so shy, Kurotani! It's just for a minute, right?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu knew that her face was flushed pink as she was pulled out of her room. _This isn't fair! In what world would this be considered fair?!_ She tugged at the hem of the nightgown, trying to keep her eyes averted from the others. "Can I…change back yet?" She heard a rustling and glanced over briefly, seeing that Uta had stood and was walking over with a grin plastered on his face. An anxious twisting began in her stomach as he approached and she started to fidget with the hem of the nightgown.

"Hm?" He leaned down, staring intently at the pink hue of her cheeks. Lifting a hand, he ran his fingers along a stray lock of her hair.

"She looks good, right? Sexy?"

"It looks good, but I like her usual style," he finally replied.

The pink-haired girl shivered a little, goose bumps rising on her exposed skin. The nightgown did not reach her knees and the neckline dipped enough to show her collar bone and a little further down. She stepped back and looked toward her room. "Um…I'm…going to go change so…um…ah…" Miyu rushed back into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She changed clothes quickly and was soon back out with the others, sitting at the table.

Itori was still wearing her sleepwear and gave an irritated sigh when she saw what Miyu was wearing. "You know, it's kind of a waste to have a good figure and cover it up."

"She shows her stomach though," Uta pointed out. "It's cute."

"I guess it's better than covering everything," Itori agreed. "Still. You need to lighten up a little, Kurotani. You and Ren both. You guys are so serious about everything."

Miyu glanced over at Renji and saw him looking at her with a frown. She slouched, bowing her head to let her hair hide her blush. _I'm…stupid. Getting flustered like this. It's not like he even reacted. He wouldn't even look at me. I just…don't get him sometimes. We kissed. He said he wouldn't leave me behind. So what exactly are we?_

"So let's get this sleepover started! I want to pick out a movie to watch!"

"I guess…we can watch some movies. I'll bring the television out here." Miyu was glad to be back in her room, away from the strange situation outside. She stood near the television, bent slightly at the waist to unplug it, her back to the doorway. She was so focused on her task that she failed to hear the approaching footsteps until they were too close.

When she straightened, there was an instant warmth at her back. Arms went around her waist, holding her against a solid chest. Her breathing hitched at the warm contact of their hands against her sides and the girl's pulse beat faster as their hold tightened. "I-I…ah…" A mouth gently caressed the side of her neck, sending jolts of pleasure through her.

"…I don't like sharing…" Renji's voice was very quiet as he held her against his chest. He could feel her trembling and frowned. "Tonight…I'm sleeping with you."

Miyu's face went bright red, a trickle of blood leaking from her nose. "Ah…wh-what? I…um…R-Renji, I don't…know if…"

"I don't want someone else sleeping next to you."


	16. Chapter 16

NeonHorizon: Hn. Need to move toward that super important part. That's right; movement from the fourth ward. I'm reluctant though. I'm having a lot of fun writing about young Uta and young Yomo. But things need to move...time needs to pass...

* * *

He stared at the wall, unable to fall asleep again. Renji was unsure of how long he had actually slept. He felt tired and it hurt to keep his eyes open, but his mind refused to let him doze off again. Instead of rest, it was focusing on many other things. The warmth against his back, the two other ghouls that were asleep on the floor, the dog snoring in the corner, the grave that he had been forced to dig with his bare hands just days earlier. All of these things were on his mind and they kept him from successfully finding rest.

Behind him, she was sleeping peacefully. Miyu had seemed reluctant at first, when he insisted on sleeping beside her, but ultimately knew that he would do it anyway. He carefully looked over his shoulder at the girl and saw her move in her sleep. She settled onto her stomach, her head turned toward him and a lock of pink hair falling across her face. The female ghoul's lips were twisted into a slight frown, her slender fingers gripping at the pillow beneath her head.

Very cautiously, he turned onto his other side and watched her facial expression gradually relax. _A nightmare?_ Renji reached over, gently pushing her hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. He briefly looked to the end of the bed, in the direction of the other two ghouls.

 _Uta…is complicated. I only see him show remorse when he goes too far with Miyu. He knows what happened to Hideaki. After tonight…seeing him interact with her…I don't think he killed her brother. He's just happy that he's dead. But he hasn't told her about it…because he doesn't want to upset her._ The pale-haired ghoul drew closer and was surprised when she turned onto her side and nuzzled against his chest. Slowly, he wrapped one arm around her and let his other arm rest across the pillow.

Miyu's body fit comfortably against his, her soft chest pressed to his and her head tucked beneath his chin. Her breathing was calm, the air warm as it fanned over his collar bone and the upper part of his chest. Renji closed his eyes, holding her and feeling himself begin to relax again. _I want you. I want you…to be mine. I don't have much left and I know that you don't, either. So I'll keep you close. I'll keep you safe and…I'll try to make you happy. No matter what._

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Nnnh…?" Dark grey eyes fluttered open and she stared at the boarded up window. Miyu felt something warm and solid against her back, a warm arm wrapped around her waist from behind. She felt her breathing hitch and tensed, her groggy mind taking a moment to remember what had happened earlier that night.

 _Right. The sleepover. And Renji wanted to sleep next to me._ Now that she remembered, she was suddenly very aware of his scent on the sheets and pillow. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she closed her eyes. Her pulse was increasing rapidly and she bit her bottom lip, trying to distract herself from his presence.

After attempting, and failing, to fall asleep again, Miyu knew that she needed to move. With extreme care, she slipped out of his hold and out of bed. She silently left the bedroom, intending to sit at the table with a glass of water and read for a while to help herself relax. As she crossed the main room, she caught sight of something that made her freeze in her tracks. The door to her brother's room was open.

Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight of it and she felt a rush of excitement. _Aki-nii?! Is he…? Did he come back? Why though? Did he forget something? Or did he come to bring me back with him? Would he…let me bring Renji?_ Miyu approached the open doorway and saw the room dimly lit by the streetlight's glow breaking through the cracks in the boarded up window. She could see the stacks of books that he had left behind and a figure seated on the bare, wooden floor. "…Aki-nii…?"

The figure's head tilted and a pair of eyes opened, burning black and red. Uta stared back at her for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "Nope. Not Aki."

The girl placed a hand on the doorway, her knees trembling. She was unable to tell if she was upset or relieved. On one hand, she had hoped it was her brother. On the other, she had begun to worry that if it was, he would force her new friend to leave. "Uta…why are you in here? I kept this door closed for a reason."

"Huh? Is it bad that I'm in here?" he challenged.

"Ah…not "bad", I guess. I just…I was trying to keep his room the way he left it," she replied. Miyu saw him pat the spaced next to him and hesitated. _Why is he in here?_

"I won't move anything. I just wanted to see what his room looked like. It's pretty clean. I wouldn't expect less; he was so obsessive about everything."

She advanced into the room, goose bumps raising on her exposed stomach and arms. "Aki-ni…always wanted things to be "proper". That's how he put it." Miyu sat on the floor about two feet in front of him, absently reaching up to toy with the necklace he had given her. _That's right. It was "proper" to learn how to read and write, to learn a trade that I could use to make a living, to keep calm and…never use my kagune, but be prepared if I had to._

Uta leaned a bit closer, his expression one of amusement. "What? So it was "proper" to not make friends with me?" He saw her frown and he began to grin. "He thought I'd be a bad influence, huh? I guess I might be. I'm kinda bad sometimes."

Slouching, she let her hair fall over her eyes. "…you're…not bad…" She continued to fidget with the necklace, the piercing ornament warm to the touch and bringing her an odd sense of comfort.

"You like me~?"

Her face burned and she gaze up at him through her hair. "Uta-san, why did you want to see Aki-nii's room? You…never got along."

"He was kind of mean. I just wanted to be friends with you, but he was so overprotective. I could never get close enough to talk to you." A hand planted on the floor as he leaned even closer, his face stopping a few inches from hers. "We're friends _now_ , right?"

Seeing his grin, she felt a fluttery sensation in her stomach and chest. "I…I'm pretty sure we are…"

"Best friends?" As he spoke, he reached over and took a strand of her neon pink hair between his fingers. She gave a single nod. The boy brought his lips down beside her left ear as his fingertips trailed over her hair, his nose delicately brushing over her sensitive skin. "Aki didn't like me, but you'll still be my best friend? You're going against your big brother's wishes for me, huh? Doesn't that make you feel kind of _naughty_?"

The closer he got, the faster her heart beat and she was almost certain that he could hear her pulse. Just when she thought that she would not be able to take more, he drew back and grinned down at her. Miyu knew that her face must be an even brighter shade of pink than her hair and quickly moved to lean away. "I-I wish things had been different, Uta-san."

His lips turned down into a pout and he tilted his head once more. "It's just Uta. Hm? Those are cute." The male ghoul reached over, a fingertip pressing to the girl's knee. His eyes were now focused on the long socks that she was wearing in place of her usual ripped stockings. They were a pastel shade of blue with flowers printed on them.

"Th-thanks…Uta." Miyu felt his fingertips trail gently over the soft fabric, a shiver running down her spine. _My heart…keeps beating so fast! It's embarrassing. Why am I reacting like this? I know it isn't fear now. I'm not as afraid of him as I was before. This is different._ Her fingers curled into a fist as she bit her lower lip.

"You're shaking. Am I scaring you?" To his delight, she shook her head. "I really like you, you know. When I first saw you, I really wanted you to be my friend. You're so weird. I like everything about you though. The funny faces that you keep making, the way that you fight, your kagune, and even that mental defect you have. It's all so weird. I really like it." Uta leaned forward, kneeling in front of her and running his free hand over her hair.

She tensed as the boy's hand drifted higher up her leg, his skin warm even through the long socks. The fluttery sensation in her stomach increased and was joined by a rush of warmth. Her breathing was a little uneven now as she tried to calm herself down. "You…like me?"

"I bet you're a good friend." As he said this, his fingertips reached the hem of her sock and dipped beneath the fabric. Her bare skin was soft against his and he heard a small sound escape her that sounded quite close to a whimper. "You're always such a good girl, Miyu. I wonder what it'd be like if you were really bad. It's exciting to think about, isn't it?"

"I-I don't…understand. I'm just-"

"What do you think he'd say if he knew about this? Aki would probably lose it, right? He'd be pretty mad if he knew you had boys sleeping in your room. You're so naughty, Miyu. Breaking your brother's rules." He grinned and brought his lips down to her ear again. "I bet Aki would be mad, but he's not here anymore, right? You can do whatever you want now."

"Nnngh…" Miyu winced, feeling teeth scrape over her skin. "Stop…please." To her relief, he obeyed and leaned back. The boy gave her a curious look, but his lips were still drawn into a grin. Much to her frustration, she felt herself blushing and knew that her breathing was still uneven. "I-I'm sorry. I just…don't feel comfortable." She stood and quickly made her way out to the main room, hoping to calm her racing heart.

Footsteps followed her and the door closed. Uta stood behind the girl for a moment, perplexed. "Miyu? What's up? Are you mad?" There was a hint of concern in his voice, making her glance over her shoulder. His smile brightened when her eyes met his.

"No. I just…I don't like being in Aki-nii's room. It makes me feel sad. I don't like feeling that way. I really…don't like being reminded that I was left behind. And every time you talk about Aki-nii, you call him "Aki". Why? His name was Hideaki."

He watched her go into the kitchen and followed, unable to stop smiling as he observed her. The girl was moving with caution, either out of nervousness or because she wanted to avoid waking the others. Uta cast a glance toward her bedroom and knew that the other two were still sleeping. "You called him "Aki" when I first saw you. I just thought that was his name and it's cuter," he admitted sheepishly.

"And…you always refer to him in the past-tense. He isn't dead. He's just…not in the fourth ward anymore," she muttered.

Uta leaned against the counter beside her, staring at the girl with curiosity. "What if he was?" The question was asked in just above a whisper.

Miyu poured a glass of water and frowned. "He…isn't though. He took Himeko-san and…they went to start a life somewhere else…with their baby. And I'm just here…trying to stay alive."

He absently rubbed a fingertip over his lip piercing, watching a certain darkness seem to take hold of her. The girl's shoulders drooped and she began to look like she might cry. "I'd be pretty angry if someone did that to me," he remarked. "He didn't even care, huh? He just uprooted for her. You know what, though? She slept around a lot. The baby probably wasn't even his, but he was so proper he couldn't let her go."

"H-he just left me here to fend for myself." Tears welled in her eyes and she scowled, rubbing at them with the back of her hand. "Damn it…Aki-nii…"

"Huh? You're not fending for yourself though; you've got me and Renji and Itori. We're all friends, right? We're not gonna abandon you like Aki did." Seeing that she was shaking, her delicate frame rocked by silent sobs, he moved closer. He leaned down to peer up at her from beneath her bangs. "Miyu? You okay?"

"…I was alone…for almost three months…just me and Neechan…" She was glad when he disappeared from her sight, allowing her to let the tears fall. _I couldn't continue. I know I would've broken if Renji didn't appear when he did. I lived alone; I was an easy target so someone would have eaten me or killed me. Or I might have starved. If I hadn't met Renji…but maybe that's why I followed him that day…like an instinct._ Her eyes widened as a warm body pressed against her back, arms wrapping around her waist. "…Uta…?"

"I've got you~" He rested his chin on her shoulder, leaning down a little to do so. His fingers spread across her stomach, feeling her chilled, smooth skin beneath him fingertips. "So you're not alone anymore, right? You've got me and Renji and Itori. That's all you really need. Your other friends are kinda weak and flaky. They didn't visit you at all, did they? They don't seem like good friends." A smile crossed his face as he leaned down to the side of her neck. "I'm a good friend, Miyu. You'll see."


	17. Chapter 17

He held up his project, examining its progress in the unfiltered sunlight. The material gave off a nice shine and the shape was coming along nicely. His lips curled into a smile as he lowered the mask, planning to add just a few more touches. As he reached for the bag, Uta's eyes wandered to the space just a foot away from him. He tilted his head, staring intently at the dirt and the dying flowers placed on top of the grave.

 _Aki would be mad_ , he thought with a grin. _He'd be so angry that I'm friends with his sister. But he can't do anything now. We're best friends._ The grin began to falter and finally dropped. The mask was set aside and he focused his attention on the grave. There was no marker to show that it belonged to Kurotani Hideaki. The only thing to even indicate that the site may hold significance were the flowers that had to have been Renji's offering.

Leaning forward a little, Uta slouched and toyed with his lip piercing. He remembered the day the Kurotani siblings appeared in the fourth ward. Someone had mentioned in passing that an older brother and younger sister had taken up residence in an old house that had been abandoned. No one knew where they came from or what brought them to such a dangerous place, but they suddenly resided there.

His first meeting with them was just a week later. The boy had started to feel excited after hearing that the girl was around his age. When he saw the pair walking together down the street, Uta decided to introduce himself. The girl had been pushed behind her brother's back and the older boy glared at Uta, threatening him with death if he ever tried to talk to her again. That was when the resentment began.

The boy reached down, his fingertips resting on the grave and a frown tugging at his mouth. _You wanted to protect her, but you weren't strong enough. Why weren't you stronger? We probably could've been friends, too. Even if you were kind of old and grouchy. You weren't supposed to die._ Uta drew in the loose dirt, paying little attention to his surroundings as he focused on the grave. He did regret leaving Hideaki's body in the crate for so long. He had just been reluctant to move the corpse. It had to be his secret.

It happened just one month after Hideaki left the fourth ward with his girlfriend. Uta had been excited to talk to Miyu, but she was quickly becoming even more of a shut in than before and he needed the right opportunity. In a horrible coincidence, his intent had been to visit her the same night as the older Kurotani's sudden return. Another ghoul spotted Hideaki in the industrial area and immediately alerted Uta.

He found the man quickly and confronted him alone. The boy approached him with a grin on his face and his hands in his pockets. "Aki~"

Hideaki tensed at the sound of his voice and looked over his shoulder, dark grey eyes narrowed. "I'm not here to fight."

"So what're you here for? Where's Himeko-chan?" Uta stopped about ten feet behind the older ghoul, looking him up and down. Something was different about Hideaki. The sternness from before was still present in his posture and glare, but he seemed less intimidating as he turned to face the boy.

"I left her at home. I'm here to bring Miyu back with me."

Uta's grin spread wider. "What?"

"I realized how unfair it is to leave her behind so I've decided to bring Miyu home with me. Family is important and I believe that Himeko realizes this now. Miyu needs to be in my daughter's life when the child is born so-"

"You're not taking her anywhere. Miyu-chan likes it here. She's got a life here. What if she doesn't wanna go?" Uta took a step forward, head cocked to the side as he watched Hideaki. The man's face was betraying his true emotions; he was nervous and unsure of himself.

"You mean that _you_ don't want her to go," Hideaki growled. "Miyu is my little sister. She is all that I have left of my family, with the exception of my daughter. You-!"

"You sound really smart, but you're pretty dumb sometimes, Aki. Every time you pick a fight, you lose. Why do you bother? I just wanna be friends with her. Don't worry; I'll take really good care of her!"

The older ghoul scowled and took a step forward as well, fists clenched and kagune tearing through the back of his hooded sweatshirt. "I won't let you taint my sister!" Hideaki ran at Uta, his kagune flexing and twitching erratically.

In an instant, Uta rushed to meet him halfway and drew back his right arm. Thrusting it forward, he had certain expectations. Hideaki should have jumped back to avoid his strike or at least moved to the side. He did not anticipate what really happened. Uta's hand easily pushed past Hideaki's flesh and bone. Blood and muscle slickly encased his fingers, his palm, just for a moment before his hand exited through the man's back. "Just kidding." Uta felt Hideaki shudder, heard blood splatter the cement from his gaping lips. "Aki?"

Dark grey eyes met Uta's red and black ones as the man weakly gripped his wrist. Tears ran down the older ghoul's face as he tried, in vain, to dislodge the hand from his chest. When Uta finally pulled his arm free, Hideaki's blood splattered his clothes and the body fell to the ground. Spasms shook the body, whimpers of pain and despair left the man's lips. Uta took a few steps back, his eyes wide and unsure of what to do.

"Aki? I was just kidding. Come on." As the older ghoul grasped at his hooded sweatshirt, Uta realized what was wrong. Why Miyu's brother had looked less intimidating. His shirt lifted enough to show a boney frame beneath and Uta knew that he was starving. Death settled upon him, the life leaving his dark eyes, and the younger ghoul frowned.

Thinking back on it now, Uta knew that he should have stowed the body away sooner. He should have buried Hideaki's corpse right after he died. Instead, he left him for a few hours as he tried to come up with a plan. If Miyu found out that her brother was dead, she would never leave her house. She would become boring. He had to keep it a secret. When he finally returned for the body, he found that some weaker ghouls had tried to eat the man, but had given up when Uta appeared.

Falling onto his back on the ground, Uta closed his eyes. After that night, he hesitated to approach Miyu. Even though it had been an accident, he felt guilty. Not so much about ending Hideaki's life, but about taking him from Miyu forever. _We're friends now_ , he reminded himself. A smile easily settled on his face and he crossed his arms behind his head. _Best friends. Thanks to his death._

 **Shift P.O.V**

"What're you doing? We've been looking for you." Itori snickered. "What's with the dead flowers? Did you find those in the trash?"

Miyu frowned, looking away as Uta's eyes opened. It had been a few days since the sleepover, but she could still vividly remember what had happened in her brother's room. The memory kept popping into her head and every time she thought about his fingertips trailing up her leg, it ignited a warmth and a fluttery sort of feeing in her chest. _What is it though? Why do I feel like this?_

Uta looked at Itori, who was leaning over him and grinning now. "What's up?"

The short-haired girl stepped back as he sat up, still looking delighted at having found him. "Ren went somewhere so Kurotani needs someone to entertain her~"

Heat rose to Miyu's face and she shook her head. "Th-that's not-!"

"I'm gonna go get some drinks! Be right back!"

Watching the other girl hurry away, she sighed and pushed her hands into her pockets. "…I don't need to be entertained…and Renji won't be gone for that long…" she muttered under her breath.

"You don't want me to entertain you?" he pretended to pout.

She leaned down to pick up the dying flowers and sat down on the loose dirt, her fingers absently stroking the faded petals. Her heart was racing now that they were alone. "Why do you have these flowers? They're dead."

"What? You can't see how pretty they are?" Uta smiled when he saw her shrug. "You like them?" The girl gave another shrug, still tracing her fingertips over the slightly crinkly flowers. He leaned forward a little and tugged at a petal, pulling it loose and bringing it close to examine. "You don't have work today."

Miyu slouched a little and she half-closed her eyes. "Nope." It was true. No orders had been made so she had nothing to work on. This, of course, meant that no money and no food would be coming in. _Renji mentioned leaving the fourth ward before, but where would we go? My only other family is Aki-nii and I don't think that Renji has any living family._

There was a moment of silence between them as he reached over and dropped the flower petal onto her hair. "I'll get you food."

"Wh-what? I couldn't-"

"I'll bring you something good tonight," Uta assured her. He smiled and prodded her exposed stomach with a warm fingertip. "You're hungry, aren't you?"

She turned her head to the side, hoping to hide the rush of pink in her cheeks. "I-I'm pretty sure Renji was getting food. Thanks, though."

His eyes narrowed for an instant before he grinned. "You like Renji, don't you?"

It felt like her stomach did a flip. Miyu leaned away, nervously running her fingers through her hair while gripping the flowers in her free hand. "I…y-yeah…I like him. We live together so…"

"You're not friends. You're not even best friends. What are you?"

 _I don't know. I still don't know what we are. We're more than friends, but we're not a couple. Are we? I don't know. I really don't know._ She sank her nails into her scalp shallowly and tried to determine how to answer the question. "I…have no idea."

"But you like him," Uta persisted. "Right? You sleep in the same bed sometimes so you trust him." Drawing closer to her, he saw the pink hue of her cheeks intensify. "Don't you just wanna see him cry? He's always got that serious face. I wanna see him cry." Now with his face inches from hers, he could see her biting her lower lip. "You, too."

"I-I don't want to cry. And I don't want to see Renji cry," she argued. She felt warm breath against her cheek and jolted backwards, falling onto her back in the loose dirt. Staring up at him, she found him leaning down to get closer again. Loose strands of dyed hair tickled her skin as he brought his lips near her ear. "U-Uta?"

"You're always so quiet. I wanna hear you scream." A hand gripped her shoulder and he felt her tense beneath his touch. "You get scared, but you don't scream. So how am I supposed to make you do it? I want to hear a real scream come out of here." A finger pressed to her lips and he inched down from her ear. "What should I do to get you to scream?" Seeing the fear in her eyes, he frowned and sat up, pulling her up with him. "Just kidding."

"Wh-what?" Miyu saw him turn and rummage in the bag near him, not offering any explanation. When he finally looked toward her again, it was with a sheepish smile. A bundle of bright magenta material was set in her hand. "Ah…what…?"

"I made you something special. Um…don't let Renji see it yet. I'm working on something for him, but it's not ready yet. I still have to add some stuff." Uta saw her about to unfold it, but put his hands over hers. "Wait until tonight, okay?"

"Who wants coffee? I got coffee, some water bottles, and look who I ran into on my way here!" Itori paused and sighed. "Ren. I found him on my way here. What're you two doing? I leave you alone and you just sit there staring at each other?"

Miyu shoved the gift into her pocket and turned toward Renji. A shiver ran down her spine when she saw the look on his face. _Why does he look so freaked out?_ She was about to ask, but he moved quickly and grabbed her arm. The girl was forcefully pulled to her feet and dragged toward the street, her roommate completely silent. "Renji…? What's wrong?"

He looked at her over his shoulder and snatched the dead flowers out of her hand. "Don't go there again." Her small, cold hand gave his hand a squeeze and he frowned. "Miyu, please…promise not to go there again."

 _It wasn't even a dangerous area though._ She gave him a nod, realizing that he was quite serious. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Just don't do it again." Renji slowed his pace and let the flowers drop from his hand. "I'm sorry. I just want to go home. I'll…make it up to you."


	18. Chapter 18

NeonHorizon: Next chapter will have even more Uta. I like writing his parts. It's a bit challenging because I'm trying to keep him in character, but I'm trying to make him kind of cute, too. I really like him. At the same time, though...Renji.

* * *

"You look mad." Uta glanced up at him briefly before returning his attention to the fridge. His gaze quickly went back to the other ghoul as he noticed the dead flowers in his hand. "Why do you have those?"

Renji was standing against the wall to Uta's left, staring down at the flowers he held. They were faded and crumpled now, but he had left them on Hideaki's grave a few days prior. "…you knew where you were…"

"Hm? Oh. Earlier? Yeah, I went there to work on something." He smiled sheepishly and reached to a shelf for a wrapped object. "I sort of wanted to visit him. I've thinking about him a lot."

 _Something isn't right._ The boy lifted his eyes from the dead flowers to the blond ghoul rummaging in the fridge. _He was thinking about him? Why? He doesn't look worried. When I saw him with Miyu today, he looked…content._ Renji settled the flowers in his bag, biting the inside of his cheek as he did so. "You knew where you were…and you let her sit there."

"She wanted to sit with me," Uta replied, a somewhat cheerful tone in his voice.

"You let her sit on top of his grave. She was sitting right over his corpse. Don't you…feel bad about it? Didn't that make you feel bad?"

The fridge was closed and the other boy took a few steps toward him, his eyes bright with amusement. "Should I feel bad? He's dead. And as far as she knew, that was just bare ground. I didn't want to upset her. If I wanted to make her move, what would I say?" He tilted his head, quirking an eyebrow. "I wanna know what you think. What could I say that wouldn't make her ask questions?"

Renji adjusted the strap of his bag, shifting his eyes away from Uta's as the other boy closed in on him. "…I don't know…"

"You don't want her to know, do you?" A grin spread across the boy's face and he pushed his hands into his pockets. "I want to keep her happy. Don't you?"

Bowing his head, he bit deeper into the inside of his cheek. He gave a short nod as he tried to organize his next words. _I don't want her to be upset. If she knows that her brother is dead, I don't know what might happen. She might shut down. She might…become depressed. Or worse._ Finally lifting his eyes, he met Uta's curious gaze through his hair. "I…want Miyu to be happy," he agreed.

His hand darted forward quickly, pushing Renji's hair up and away from his eyes so they were forced to meet Uta's eyes directly. His grin grew and he leaned down, bringing his face inches from the other ghoul's. "You like her."

"You…like her, too. You're bad at hiding it."

"You're not hiding it, either. You want her to be happy because you like her, right? But, you know, you helped me bury Aki's corpse. You know he's dead, but you're not going to tell her. We're equal; we won't tell her that he died. If she found out that you knew and you were keeping it a secret, don't you think she'd be upset?"

He reluctantly nodded. _I don't want to think about what would happen,_ he realized. _If she knew that Hideaki is dead…and that I knew…_ Renji frowned and tugged at the strap of his bag. "I need to go."

"But you're not going to tell her, right?"

"…of course not…"

Uta let go of his hair and stepped back. "It's our secret now. Just between us. Oh. Um…one minute. Don't leave yet. You're going home, right? To Miyu's house?"

Feeling just a little uncomfortable, Renji nodded. He watched the other boy dig in his pocket and produce a few small, wrapped objects. "That's…?"

"Food. I picked out some stuff that I want you to give her." His facial expression turned to one of excitement and he beamed. "I want to fight her again soon."

 _You're complicated._ The pale-haired ghoul put the gifts into his bag and turned toward the door. "…I'll tell her…"

"Wait." Uta grabbed his sleeve and drew really close for a moment, staring into Renji's startled face. "Hey, so how much do you like her?"

 _How much?_ He felt blood rush to his cheeks and tried to fight it down, but it was soon clear that Uta had seen the pink hue in his face. The other boy's smile became a grin and he released Renji's sleeve. "I…really like her."

"Does she know?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

"How did he die?" Renji's expression was serious as he changed the subject, redirecting the conversation back to Hideaki.

 _Why does he want to talk about Aki? It's going to get boring again._ He felt his grin falter and stepped back. "You want to know?"

"…did you kill him…?"

Uta's grin finally fell to a frown and he turned away. _I knew it. He's curious about Aki. He cares more about Aki._ The boy settled on the couch, running his hands over his hair and trying to decide what he wanted to say. "Doves got him. And then someone picked at his body before I could move it." This was a half-truth at least. Weaker ghouls had attempted to devour Hideaki's remains.

"Doves." It was clear that Renji was mulling over this new information, his brow furrowed as he fidgeted with the bag's strap. "He was killed by doves. How do you know?"

Reaching up to toy with his lip piercing, he tried to imagine what was really going through Renji's head in that moment. _Is he trying to picture it? That's kinda morbid._ A smile cracked his lips and he looked down. "The doves are dead."

This seemed to satisfy the other boy's curiosity. Now he looked uncomfortable again and was glancing toward the door. "I'm going home."

"Okay. Um…I'm going to come over later." Uta lifted his red and black gaze, watching Renji approach the door. "Can you tell Miyu? I'll bring Itori, too."

"…sure…"

Now left alone, he leaned his head back on the cushions and closed his eyes. He needed to stop thinking about Hideaki. The memory of that night and the words they exchanged in the past were making him feel bad. Not depressed. Not even sad. It was like he could feel the seeds of guilt, but they were so shallow that he could almost push the feeling away. Almost. What kept it in place was the thought of how Miyu would react if she knew that her brother had died. That he had been killed by Uta's arm penetrating his chest.

 _I didn't know that he was starving. And he shouldn't have challenged me if he was that weak. It's his fault that he died._ Running his fingers through his pale, dyed hair, he sighed and opened his eyes. _I want to see her again. It wasn't enough earlier. I barely got to talk to her. Renji overreacted. Just like Aki used to. I thought I was done with that._

Uta remembered that moment before, when she had jolted away from him and fell onto her back on the grave. The flush of her cheeks almost matched the color of her hair and she looked so surprised when he closed in on her. She was cute in a way that made him want to make her blush red. His smile returned just in time to meet Itori's curious gaze as she appeared behind the couch. "Let's do something fun tonight."

She grinned back at him. "Something with Kurotani?"

"I want to fight her again! But tonight…I want to make it special."

 **Shift P.O.V**

The door opened and closed, but Miyu's attention was elsewhere. She was sitting on her bed with a book, studying different art forms and wondering if she could make money by creating artwork. _People pay for name stamps. Could I sell portraits? Can I do portraits?_ She glanced toward her open bedroom doorway, but there was no sign of her roommate. Deciding that he had probably gone to the kitchen, she returned her attention to the book.

 _What else could I do? I can read so that makes it easier to find work. Sort of. Could I work in a store? Maybe that salon. I can't cut hair, but I could make appointments, right?_ The hair stood up on the back of her neck and she glanced up to find Renji watching her from across the main room, standing near the kitchen. He was silent; simply standing and observing her with a rather serious expression on his face.

Miyu stared back, now curious about where he had gone. He had left without a word earlier that evening and it seemed like he had lost the dead flowers somewhere along the way. _Why did he take them? He never said why he wanted them._ Becoming unnerved by his silence, she lowered her eyes to the book again and tried to focus. It was proving difficult. Her cheeks were starting to burn as she saw him from the corner of her eye. "Renji…do you need something?"

He crossed the room and paused in her doorway, hesitant to enter the bedroom. His lips twisted in dismay as he seemed to struggle with his words. "What did he say to you?"

"Uta?" She saw him nod. "Just…um…" The girl ran her thumb over the edge of the book, frowning to herself. _I can't tell him that Uta was talking about making him cry. Or about wanting to make me scream. I'll sound crazy. Even crazier than Uta sounded when he said those things. Why did it make me blush when…? No! I need to stop thinking about it!_ Taking a deep breath, she attempted a smile. "I-it doesn't matter."

"What were you talking about?" He stepped into the room now, but just a little. It was obvious that something was bothering him and, to Miyu, it almost seemed like he knew what had been said.

"Um…I mean…w-well, I guess we were kind of…talking about you, Renji." The pink-haired ghoul bowed her head as he studied her, her nose twitching at the faint scent of human blood that lingered on him. _Did he just eat? He smells like…blood. He smells really good._ Her heart skipped a beat she felt the bed dip a little and soon found him in front of her, one knee planted between both of hers and a hand gripping her shoulder.

"…Miyu…do you like me?"

She felt goose bumps raise on her skin as she met his intense stare. "Y-yeah." The book fell from her hand, striking the floor with a loud thud as her mouth was covered by his. _What…is he doing?_ Warmth flooded her body as she felt his free hand trail through her hair, his chest pressing against hers as he closed the distance between them. Miyu's arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, her lips moving against his to kiss back.

He brought his weight forward, little by little, and his hand moved from her shoulder to the wall behind the bed. The knee between her legs shifted, moving between her thighs and pressing there firmly. His lips smothered a gasp that tried to escape her and he could feel his pulse begin to race.

Miyu was startled when he broke the kiss to look down at her, his face still quite close to hers. Trembling fingers traced along his cheek and she felt his flesh grow warm beneath her touch. "Renji…do you…l-like me…?"

"I like you…a lot," he confirmed.

"What are we?" She dropped her gaze to where his knee was now pressed between her thighs, his skin warm even through his pants. The girl's heart was racing as well, her breathing shallow and her face flushed. She closed her eyes as he drew close once more, his lips pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before he lifted her chin.

Renji's face held determination; his mouth set in a firm line and his eyes narrowed. "We're all that we have." He saw the realization in her dark grey eyes and it brought him a strange sense of sadness. It was the truth, after all. They had each other. They were closer together than they were with anyone else. Moving on alone or staying behind alone were no longer options. "I want to be with you…I…need you."

"N-need…?" Miyu felt a heat pooling in her stomach as she stared up at him. His gaze softened as he saw the warmth in her eyes. "I…need…"

"Heeeey! Kurotani! Ren! I hope you're both decent!" The door rattled near the front of the house, drawing both ghouls' attention. "What?! Kurotani, come on! What's with locking us out, huh? It's cold out here!" Itori pouted.

The pale-haired ghoul moved off of the bed, straightening his clothes and looking away. "…I'm sorry…"

She caught him by the sleeve before he could leave the room, frowning. "W-wait…um…I'm sorry. Renji, I…I like you, too…I just…I'm…not great around guys."

A faint smile twitched at his lips. "I know."


	19. Chapter 19

Her breathing was ragged as she dodged backwards, kagune planting on the ground to propel her back as quickly as possible. The top two appendages crossed in front of her to block an attack when he came racing after her, her legs lifting and managing a kick to his midsection. The action made her tilt back sharply, flipping head over heels and her kagune moving to stabilize her for another attack.

Uta watched her carefully for her next move, his pulse racing in excitement. They were both fairly battered already. He had expected her to show her usual strength, but this level of ferocity was different. He loved it. Just mentioning her weakness triggered something within her that turned her into a beast.

Miyu crouched low to the ground, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. It was not her blood. Even in the dim light of the moon and stars, she could see blood soaking Uta's shirt from where she had bitten into his shoulder. Her chest ached as she tensed, a few ribs broken and she suspected plenty of bruises. _Why did he have to say those things?! He's just messing with me…right? But to say those things!_

He swiped a thumb across his cheek, smearing his own blood in the process. A wide grin split his lips and he took a step toward her. "So you've never looked at him and wondered? Don't you think he'd taste pretty good? You kissed him, right? What did it taste like?"

Her cheeks flushed and she darted forward, her top two kagune drawing back and her bottom two tensing. They struck the ground hard, sending her flying over his head. The top kagune struck at him, making him move to block them, and at the same time she stomped downward as if to hit his head. Uta moved faster than her, gripping her ankle and turning, sending her soaring into the air. She struck the side of a warehouse and hit the ground with a crunch, rolling swiftly to avoid being impaled by his arm.

"You've really never thought about it?" he continued, his tone one of amusement. "You _like_ him, right? If anyone ate him, shouldn't it be _you_?"

"I…would never _eat_ him!" she argued. Miyu stood and her kagune lifted around her. All four appendages were striking at him now, but it definitely hindered her balance. She wobbled a little and she struggled to maintain her speed, but he was being forced backwards again and again.

His grin remained in place as he dodged, receiving the occasional strike of her kagune against his side or legs. Uta could see the lingering blush in her cheeks and tilted his head. Careful to avoid being struck, he moved in close and out of range of the ends of her kagune. A hand lifted, gripping her jaw as he closed the distance between the two ghouls.

Her back struck the wall to her side as his ankle hooked around hers, throwing off her balance and twisting her body to keep her from hitting the ground. The girl's dark grey eyes clenched shut, crimson appendages twitching as she felt warm breath against the side of her neck. _What is he going to do?! Is he planning to-?_ A gasp escaped her as she felt the gentle scrape of teeth over her delicate skin. "Uta?!"

"You really haven't tasted him? You haven't even thought about it?"

She felt his body press hard against hers, a shiver running down her spine. Her kagune were splayed against the wall at her back, twitching as she struggled to come up with a plan. Any movement could cause him to suddenly bite down on her neck and it could be fatal. "I could never…do that," she finally stated.

"So you'd never be able to even taste him, huh? Even if he wanted it." Before she could ask what he meant, he drew the tip of his tongue up and along the line of blood trailing from her mouth. His own blood collected in his mouth, the flavor making him smile against her skin. The hand holding her jaw tightened when she began to squirm. "I can taste myself. I taste pretty good. How about you, Miyu? I bet you taste good, too."

A sound left her, a cross between a whimper and a moan. Lips were latched onto her collarbone and she felt the swipe of a tongue. His lips parted and his teeth very lightly sank in. The bite ended almost as soon as it began, the male ghoul's tongue lapping over the indentation of his teeth. Her pulse quickened, her knees grew weak. His free hand darted behind her right leg, lifting it and pulling it up so her knee bent around his hip. Heat instantly spread through her, from her face down to her lower half.

Another small, quick bite was placed and then another and another. The blond ghoul heard the sounds that she made and gradually shifted from bites to something else. Something gentler. His lips parted, latching onto her pale skin and flicking his tongue against it, testing her sensitivity. He felt her hips subconsciously press forward against his and grinned into the kiss. Pulling away, he let her flesh leave his lips with a quiet popping sound and looked down into her vibrant pink face.

She was panting, trying to keep her noises quiet. When Uta invited her out to walk with him, she had been a little wary. It was the topic of Renji that made her agree to go. The pale-haired ghoul was currently with Itori, getting some drinks for what was promised to be a movie night. Miyu had not anticipated Uta abruptly attacking and then baiting her with talk of cannibalizing Renji. She opened her eyes, staring up at Uta and expecting to see his grinning face. Expecting him to say it was a joke before releasing her.

Instead, he leaned down and captured her lips with his own. The taste of ghoul blood was strong and his hips rolled forward against hers, pushing her harder against the wall. The hand holding her jaw moved, fingers tangling in her neon pink hair to hold her in place. Her hands went to his chest, her nails shallowly digging in through his shirt as she grasped at the fabric. The girl's pulse was pounding in her ears as she felt a wave of heat rush through her body, straight to her lower abdomen. Suddenly, the pressure of his hips against hers felt divine and she felt herself seem to melt against him.

Uta suddenly broke the contact between their lips and twisted, putting his back against her chest and staring at something in an alley across from them. He grinned at the newcomers, acting as if he had almost expected them. "We've got some voyeurs," he remarked over his shoulder. "You like watching kids make out?" This was directed at the men approaching them, slowly, with cases in hand.

"I heard that Pink Spider was working with another ghoul. Looks like she might be involved with No Face," one of the investigators commented to another.

The boy's grin brightened. "We're involved."

Miyu could see them over his shoulder. _Doves? Did he know they would be here? But neither of us are in great condition. Some of my ribs are broken. Can I fight them?_ She felt her kagune move behind her, bracing against the wall subconsciously. Her mind raced with options and she finally settled on one. They had to move fast and incapacitate the men before they could open their cases. If she could get a big enough boost of speed, she knew that she should be able to get the cases away from them so that Uta could attack without the possibility of retaliation. "…move over…"

This seemed to please him immensely. "You wanna kill them?"

"If we don't stop them…they'll just go into the ward looking for other ghouls, right? We've got to do something to stop them," she quietly explained. Her eyes remained locked on the advancing humans. _Four of them. It's not great odds, but I can at least try to disarm two of them. The middle two and then I'll have to pivot and move back before the outer ones close in._

"We're gonna pick up where we left off when we're done, right?"

Heat rushed to her face as he looked at her over his shoulder. "M-maybe."

The boy moved aside for her and Miyu's kagune pushed off from the wall so hard that it left four deep indentations. She sped forward, legs working to maintain her momentum, and had to act quickly when cases snapped open. Nearing them, she twisted and twirled, letting her kagune move around her in an almost windmill formation. They managed to smack the cases from the men's hands and while they were distracted, Uta closed in to take care of them.

Her boots skidded over the ground as she twisted again, moving to launch herself at an armed man. He raised his quinque in time to slice one of her top kagune, but she persisted nonetheless and planted the sole of her boot against his face. The man tumbled back, nose bleeding, and lifted his weapon again to block a follow up attack. _I can't kill him_ , she reminded herself. _I refuse to kill this human! I'll just hurt him enough to keep him from hurting anyone else!_

To her horror, his quinque changed from a single weapon to a pair and she felt a nervousness forming in the pit of her stomach. Miyu was sent reeling back from a cut across the left side of her face, blood running down her cheek. She gritted her teeth against the pain and sprinted forward, drawing back both top kagune. They swiped at the man over and over, trying to drive him back, but she soon felt pain explode in her right shoulder.

Miyu stumbled a few steps away, her vision briefly going white from the agony in her limb. All four kagune went in front of her to block any further attacks as she frantically tried to adjust her plans. _I still have to fight, but I don't think I can use this arm anymore!_ Blood burst from her lips as a kick managed to penetrate her defenses. The man's foot struck her in the ribs hard, worsening her already broken bones.

Without thought, she struck and her top kagune coiled around his wrists. One of the lower ones darted from behind her, stabbing into his side and forcing a guttural cry of pain from him. Her eyes widened, human blood splattering her face and the ground in front of her as her kagune tore through his chest and burst out the front. His corpse dropped and she stared at it, trembling. _I didn't think about it…but I wanted it. I wanted him to die. My instincts helped me move, but…that was…a thing that I wanted to happen_ , she realized. The sight of his corpse made her stomach turn and she quickly turned away. A crimson appendage lifted to block as one of his comrades rushed to retaliate.

By the end of the fight, the cement was shining red beneath the moonlight. Four human bodies littered the ground, two in pieces while two were moderately whole. Miyu wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the carnage and sitting on the cold, hard cement. She heard the approaching footsteps of Uta, but kept her eyes trained on the closest corpse. "…I…killed…"

"You looked so cool out there." He dropped to his knees in front of her on the pavement, leaning down to her eye level. "Oh. Your face. Um…oh. Here." Uta held her shoulder and brought his face closer to hers, his tongue caressing the cut across her cheek and licking away the blood. "You taste delicious~"

"U-Uta, I… _killed_ …I didn't mean to, but…I _wanted_ them dead…I _know_ that I did."

He tilted his head and frowned. "You're still thinking about that? What about us? What about earlier?" Uta's free hand dropped to the wet ground and then brought his fingers to her lips, painting them with the blood of the dead humans. "You did really well."

Her eyes focused on him, taking in the look of delight in his red and black eyes. A faint blush rose to her cheeks and she frowned back at him. "Uta…are you okay?"

The question caught him off-guard. He stared for a moment and then grinned. "You were worried about me? You must really like me, huh? I'm fine. What about you?"

"My ribs…I got kicked. And he stabbed my shoulder. I-I can't really move my right arm," she admitted. A sharp yelp left her as he swept her into his arms and stood. "Uta?!'

"You wanna go home, right?"

"Y-yes, please."

His grin grew as he started walking, leaving the corpses behind. No doubt, someone would discover them soon and feast. The main priority was getting her away from the area in case more showed up. As much as he loved to see her fight and kill doves, Uta knew that she was in no condition to keep fighting.

She closed her eyes, trying not to think about the beating of his heart as her head rested against his chest. Trying not to think about his kiss or the warmth of his hands as he held her injured body. Blood was soaking her shirt and she was reminded of the bite wound on his shoulder. Looking up with half-opened eyes, she saw that it was still bleeding a little. "Uta, your blood…um…" Her face turned red and she closed her eyes again. "Your blood…tasted good…and I'm sorry."

The grip on her tightened and she was lifted a little. Lips pressed against the girl's forehead before he lowered her again. "You taste pretty good, too."


	20. Chapter 20

NeonHorizon: Hn. Well. This is an interesting chapter...*blush*. Also. I have a My Hero Academia fanfic up now. It's called Gray Area. I decided to put some spicy romance in there so...that's a thing. If you're into that, give it a read. If not, that's cool. It's not for everyone. I hope you like this chapter of Insatiable.

* * *

 _Three eyes. Two tongues. An ear. An entire hand._ Renji stared down at the pieces of meat that were on the counter in Miyu's kitchen, frowning. He was looking over what Uta had given him the previous day and knew that Miyu would have trouble eating it. A look toward her room showed that she had yet to emerge.

It was unsurprising. When she and Uta returned the previous night, they were both significantly injured. Her clothes had been splattered with a mix of ghoul and human blood, telling him that she had probably fought doves again. What stuck out more to him was the way she had returned. Uta carried her and, though he usually seemed to enjoy touching her, it seemed like he was touching Miyu more than usual. Her face was flushed pink as her hair and she avoided eye contact with him as well as the blond ghoul.

 _Something happened_ , he decided. _Did Uta tell her about her brother? No. That wouldn't make her blush. He did something else._ Remembering her injuries, he gathered the pieces of meat and walked to her doorway. Renji could see her in the dim room, lying on her side and facing away from the door. "Miyu."

She visibly tensed and looked over her shoulder. "I'm awake."

"You need to eat something," he started. "Can I come in?" Instantly, he was angry with himself for sounding so timid. Before, he would have just walked into her room if he wanted. Somehow, seeing her like this, he was hesitant. Shaking his head, he did not wait for her answer. He entered the room and sat on the edge of her bed with the food.

The girl sat up, leaning her back against the wall behind her bed. In the light that entered from the next room, her dark grey eyes were clearly focused on her hands as she rested them in her lap. "I…don't need to be taken care of, alright? I just need rest."

"You need to eat," Renji persisted. "Close your eyes." He decided that it was probably the best way to get her to actually eat the food. If she even glimpsed it before he could lift it to her mouth, she was sure to start dry heaving. It would be ideal if he could get her to eat without him passing it to her from his mouth, but he knew that it might not happen that way.

He waited for her to obey before sorting through the scraps. _What should I try first? The tongue might be too much. She would need to work her way up to the fingers._ A faint heat rose in his face as he realized how these sentences sounded. Shaking it off, he determined that an eye might be best. It was smaller and should be easier for her to consume. Besides, the ear was too familiar of a humanoid shape; she would instantly know what it was and where it had come from.

Taking it between his fingers, he lifted it to her lips and muttered for her to open. It was slipped into her mouth, his fingertips lingering near the soft skin of her lips, and he saw it begin. Her face contorted when she seemed to recognize the shape and he quickly clasped his hand over her mouth to force her to eat it. The girl's eyes shot open and tears started to form as she shook her head, trying to free herself. Her jaw finally started moving, forced to chew and swallow the eye, and she hiccupped when he released her face.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu's tears rolled down her cheeks as she winced at the bloody taste in her mouth. It tasted good, but it reminded her of what she had eaten. _A human eye. He put a human eye in my mouth._ Her fingers went to a strand of her long, vibrant pink hair and she began toying with it, trying to calm down. "Y-you should've warned me."

"If I told you what it was, you would have refused to eat it," he argued.

She stole a glance at him in the dimly lit room and felt a warm, fuzzy sensation in her chest and stomach. "…thank you…but…organs…?"

"I don't have any organs." Renji frowned back at her and lifted her chin. "Why won't you look at me for more than a second? Did I do something?"

"No. It's…nothing." Miyu's stomach growled and she saw his frown deepen. "Renji-?"

"Did Uta do something?"

Instantly, her face flushed and she looked away again. "I…I don't want to talk about it. And you don't have to worry about me eating. I'll just…drink some blood and wait for a customer to pay me in meat, okay? It shouldn't be much longer." The girl chanced a look at him, briefly, and saw an intensity in his grey eyes.

"…do you like him…?"

"Wh-what?! I…do I…like him…? I-I don't actually know him that well, for one. Aki-nii never let me hang out with him so we…never really talked until after my brother had left. You could almost say…I've known you for longer. I've known of him, but I haven't really known him-"

"Do you like Uta?" He leaned down, bringing his face closer to hers and still holding her chin in place.

She could feel the heat of his body, closing in on hers, and her breathing hitched. "I…I get this weird feeling in my chest sometimes…when I'm around him. Like butterflies. But not like fear. It's something different," she admitted. "But…I'm pretty sure he likes you."

This seemed to take him by surprise. He leaned back a little, blinking, and his frown returned from the worried look he previously held. "You need to eat if you're going to heal."

"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt as much as it did yesterday."

"He's already healed. You know that, don't you? He ate so he healed and he's going to want to fight you again." Renji reached toward the blood-stained paper bundle at his side and picked something up, tucking it into his palm. "If you want to defend yourself, you need to heal." Whatever it was, he swiftly shoved it into his mouth and began to chew.

Miyu's eyes closed when he leaned in again. His lips covered hers and his free hand gripped her shoulder to keep her from moving away. The boy's tongue eased her lips apart with effort and partially chewed human meat was pushed into her mouth for her to eat. She reluctantly chewed, careful not to bite his tongue before he could pull it away. The savory flavor of blood and flesh made her hum in pleasure, drawing his attention to the way her body squirmed beneath his.

The grip on her chin fell away and the female ghoul thought for a moment that she had upset him, but soon realized otherwise. Warm fingers found her exposed side, tenderly caressing her skin. She swallowed her food and reached up, her hands tangling in his pale hair. The boy's lips curved in satisfaction and she was sad to miss seeing his smile. He made up for it though. The hand on her side slid upwards, dipping beneath the hem of her cropped shirt and brushing the sensitive flesh over her ribs. _Wait…wait if he keeps moving…!_ Her back arched when she felt his tongue invade her mouth again, rubbing against hers and drawing muffled whimpers from the girl.

When he felt her back arch, he made his next move. His hand slid higher, reaching the soft fabric of her bra. Ignoring the racing of his heart, he skimmed his fingertips up along the cup and dipped beneath it. Her breast was warm and soft against his knuckles as he pulled at the piece of clothing, drawing it down to expose her skin to his touch. Renji felt her try to pull away from his kiss, but growled into it, shifting his lower half onto hers to pin her in place.

Her heart was beating so loudly that she was certain he could hear it, or at the very least feel it. His hand lingered over her left breast, over her heart itself. Miyu's right hand left his hair and she paused, but decided to follow through. Her palm pressed firmly against the back of his hand and she forced her lips off of his. "I-if you're going to…then…please…"

"I'll be careful," he murmured. His mouth went to her neck, rewarding her boldness with tender kisses that made her seem to melt beneath his touch.

Miyu opened her eyes to look up at him, wanting to see his facial expression, but they soon closed again. Her back arched once more as she felt his hand gently massage her breast, squeezing and caressing her with care. She bit back a moan when she felt his fingertips drift, moving to tease the peak of her breast. Warmth rushed to her lower half, a sudden wetness growing between her legs. The female ghoul threw her head back, subtly bucking her hips against his.

He looked up from her neck, studying her expression. It was clear that she was enjoying his touch so he decided to take it a step further. The thin fabric of her shirt was pushed up, revealing her chest to the chilled air in the room, and he rubbed a fingertip over the stiff peak of her breast. Her blush darkened, cheeks turning from pink to red. His lips met her warm skin, kissing her chest and trailing his free hand down her body.

The second that his hand pressed between her legs, she released a moan and pushed her hips up to meet his fingers. The material of her shorts were becoming slightly wet and she knew that he could feel it. It was obvious from the way his kisses became a little rougher, his movements desperate. The male ghoul's breathing was heavy as he felt his own arousal growing. "Miyu…look at me."

Her eyes opened as his hand drew from between her thighs and immediately shifted her gaze away. His fingertips glistened and she knew why. "I…I'm…embarrassed."

"Do you want to keep going?" Renji's voice clearly showed that he wanted to. He was staring down at her, imagining what she would look like beneath him without her clothes. Imagining what she would feel like. "Are you afraid?"

"N-no. I…I'm not afraid. I'm just kind of nervous."

Seeing the anxiety in her eyes, he pulled away and sat up. "I'm sorry."

"You…don't need to apologize." Her voice was very soft as she shyly fixed her shirt and bra, still blushing a shade almost as bright as her hair. "Renji, do you-?"

"You need to eat more. Even if we did go further…you're not strong enough for something like that," he determined. Lifting a piece of meat, he wrapped a shred of paper around the bottom and bit off the very end of the meat. The pale-haired man pulled the chunk from his mouth and offered it to her.

"…thank you…" It was just mashed enough that it looked like a simple chunk of mysterious meat so she knew that she would be able to stomach eating it. _Is this tongue? I don't feel any cartilage or bone_ , she thought as she chewed.

He lowered his eyes, frowning in indecision. "Whether you know him or not…do you like Uta? You said something earlier…about butterflies…"

"I don't know how I feel about him," she confessed. The girl accepted another piece of meat from him and pondered his question as she ate. _How do I feel about Uta? He still scares me, but…he's interesting. He's dangerous. He's smarter than he lets everyone else believe. Maybe…that's what makes him so dangerous. He acts carefree, but he's always listening and thinking._ Pink hair fell over her eyes and she swallowed, her lips twisted into a frown.

Renji bit off a piece of the human tongue and chewed, still not looking at her. He knew that she was thinking and he suspected that it was about the previous night. Whatever had happened between the two ghouls, it was bothering her. "…it's okay to like him…" he finally murmured.

"Do you like him?" She glanced over and saw him shrug. "You're friends now."

"We're friends. There are things that I like about him," Renji conceded. He reached to the blood-stained paper and brought the ear to his mouth, munching thoughtfully as he stared at the door across the main room. The dog was sleeping curled up on the floor, guarding the door and leaving the two ghouls to do as they pleased. "Do you like him?"

Miyu remembered the previous night. Her fight with Uta and the rather passionate moment between them when he had her pinned against the wall. The metal of his lip piercing against her lip, his body pressing hers firmly to the cold surface at her back. His hips pushing at hers, sending shocks of pleasure through her lower half. A fresh wave of heat ran through her and she bowed her head again. "I…I think I like him."

"Do you trust him?"

At this, she tensed and looked over at Renji. He met her gaze and she saw something in his eyes that reflected how she felt. Thinking about putting her trust in Uta sent a shiver down her spine. He was nice to her, but she had heard stories about him. She knew the violence he was capable of and it made her anxious. Reaching over, she wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his lips. "No. I don't trust him."

"Do you trust me?"

 _Do I trust him?_ Staring back into his eyes for a long moment, she gave a single nod. As long as he had been living with her, he seemed to place his trust in her so it was only fitting that she reciprocate this. "Do you trust Uta?"

His frown deepened. "I like him and I want to trust him…"


	21. Chapter 21

_Renji..?_ The female ghoul stared at her friend's injured form on the ground as the man he called "Arima" approached, wielding a quinque. Her heart raced, blood running cold at the thought of seeing the pale-haired ghoul die. Miyu was already in bad shape from fighting off doves, but her love for him would not let her rest for even a second.

Her kagune hoisted her off the ground and she twisted, striking an enemy across the face and effectively sending the human sprawling on the ground. Another kagune stabbed deep into his chest to end him and she turned back to Renji. She rushed forward, gritting her teeth against the pain of her injuries. "Renji! Renji, I'm coming! Don't try to-! No! Stop! Let go of me!"

The arm slung across her chest yanked her off of her feet, her kagune flailing and trying to stop him. Uta held her tighter, but his eyes were on Renji. "He'll get up," he muttered. "He's gotta get up. He's gotta be okay."

"Renji!" Tears formed in her eyes as the human closed in on him. The pale-haired ghoul was doubled over and she could hear a pained sound leave his lips. "RENJI!"

Uta felt her kagune start to flail wildly at her sides, reaching around in her panic and swiping at his limbs. When he felt one stab into the back of his shoulder, he winced and squeezed her harder against his chest. "Miyu, I'm not gonna let you go."

"I have to help him! He's going to die! Let me go!" As her kagune dug deeper into his flesh, another one coiled around his left leg and gripped it like a vice. "Let go or I'll-!"

The girl's struggling paused as she saw a figure suddenly appear in front Renji, blocking the human's path. A man in a dark coat and hat, older than any other ghoul there. Before Miyu could even consider breaking free of Uta's hold, the man had gripped Renji by the shirt and disappeared over the ledge with him. "R-Ren…ji…? Where…where are you taking him?! Give him back! GIVE HIM BACK TO ME!" Tears streamed down her cheeks, wetting the mask that Uta had given her. "Give him back…give him back!"

"What should we do? We've still got No Face and the Pink Spider," a dove spoke to the man called Arima.

The pink-haired girl felt rage starting to overtake her, realizing that the older ghoul was quickly escaping while the blond ghoul still held onto her. Retaliation against the older man was becoming less possible, but the humans were still there. Both kagune left Uta's body and she poised all four in front of her in defense. I _'ll kill them! I'll kill all of them for hurting Renji and I'll hunt down that other ghoul! I'll find him! I'll get him back!_

Before she could make an attempt, she was slung over someone's shoulder and found the scene fading away. She gripped onto the ghoul's back, screaming at the humans in defiance even as her carrier continued to flee. "I'll end you! _ALL_ OF YOU!" she promised.

Itori greeted her with a grin when she was brought to Uta's place, but the short-haired girl quickly caught on that something was not right. "Where are the guys?" she asked the man that had carried Miyu.

Sitting on a couch in silent depression, Miyu drew her knees to her chest. _Renji…has to be okay._ _Right? Fate wouldn't be that cruel, would it? I can't lose Aki-nii and also Renji. We were supposed to avenge his sister tonight._ Remembering the discussion between Uta and Renji, she felt more tears fall. She had tagged along because she wanted desperately to support Renji. She had even pushed herself to kill humans.

An emptiness started to overtake the sadness and she fell onto her side, curling up in a ball. "…Renji…is gone…" she muttered. She wrapped her arms around herself, not even bothering to take off her mask.

Itori leaned against the arm of the couch, peering down at her. "You okay? You look pretty banged up from the fight."

"I lost Renji. I lost him. He promised me that if we left the ward, we would leave together. We…we had a _deal_. And he's gone…and that man just picked him up and…I don't even know what he's going to do with him. Renji was injured and that man…what if he _eats_ him? What if he _kills_ him?"

Frowning, Itori shrugged and sat on the couch beside Miyu. "Hey. You know what? Ren's pretty tough. I'm sure he can take care of himself. And if he's still alive, he'll come back for you. I mean, you had a deal, right? And I can tell that he really liked you."

"Don't say it like he's dead!"

The other girl snickered. "You know, I think this is the first time I've ever actually heard you raise your voice. It's kind of cute. Angry Kurotani."

"This is serious! What if he-?!" Both girls quieted as they saw Uta enter the room. Miyu saw blood darkening his jacket from where she had stabbed him and she felt guilt twist in her stomach. His pants were ripped, marking where her kagune had gripped so hard that it tore the fabric when she pulled away.

He settled on the other couch, sprawling on his back and giving only a small indication that the puncture in his shoulder hurt. Red and black eyes observed Miyu from across the small space and he frowned. "Are you okay?"

The tears multiplied at his concern and she pushed herself to sit up again. "I-I'm fine! Are _you_ …are you okay, Uta?"

The male ghoul tapped a fingertip against his lip piercing and shrugged. "I got stabbed. It feels pretty deep."

Itori glanced from one ghoul to the other and surprise lit up her face. "Kurotani, did you stab him again?!"

His lips twitched into a sheepish smile. "I got too close to the spider."

"…you tried to hold me back…"

"I couldn't lose _you_ , too." His words made her look up from her bloody hands and she saw that he was struggling not to grin. "I waited a long time to get this close; I wasn't going to lose you."

"You're both crazy," Itori remarked with a laugh. "I'm going to go see if I can scrounge up some food, okay? You both look pretty messed up."

Now left alone with Uta, the pink-haired ghoul felt herself starting to gradually calm down from her spike of anger. She lay on her back on the couch, her body feeling heavy now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Her injuries were starting to hurt and she knew that she had a few broken bones. Cuts littered her limbs and one side of her chest. There was a gash across her right cheek. None of these seemed as bad at Uta's stab wound.

"…why…even bother keeping me back…?" she murmured, throwing an arm across her face to block out the light. "Renji...he's stronger than me. You should have saved him. Or at least let me try to save him myself." She heard the other couch creak and sighed into her mask, wondering if she had angered him.

A weight settled on her waist; not too heavy, but definitely noticeable. A hand gripped her wrist and lifted her arm, pinning it above her head on the cushion. Uta stared down at her, leaning down so his face was about a foot away from hers. "It's probably 'cause I'm selfish." His free hand reached behind her head, fidgeting with the straps that held her mask in place.

The mask was specially made for her by him. It fit over the lower half of her face and was shaped around the mouth to resemble a spider's fangs. It fastened by straps behind her head and was fashioned from a hot pink material with black stitching. Uta had given it to her days ago, when she and Itori had found him near the dead flowers. When she and Renji showed up that night at his place, he asked her to bring it when they went to avenge Renji's sister.

His fingers grazed one of the metal buckles and he frowned. The boy was straddling her waist, his legs squeezing at her hips faintly. "I didn't wanna see you die. We just became friends, right? It'd be a waste. I didn't wanna lose Renji, but he wasn't close enough for me to grab in time."

Miyu closed her eyes as he successfully opened the buckle and moved on to the next one. Her mask was pulled away slowly, revealing bloody lips beneath. "…we…lost Renji…" she muttered. "We need to get him back."

Sitting up more, he tilted his head. "We should wait until we're better," he finally pointed out. "I don't think we can fight again like this."

Her face was heating up from how close he was and she turned her head to the side. "Uta…do you know who that man was?"

"Just a stranger that snatched our friend." He released her wrist and watched her cover her face again. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"I _failed_ him! I couldn't protect him! What am I supposed to do now?! He was…he _is_ …my roommate. He's all that I have." She tensed, feeling slightly wet fingers run through her hair. The smell of blood was strong on his skin.

"You've got me and Itori," he protested. "Wanna move in with me? I'll keep you safe."

"I…just want him to come back…"

"Hm. Okay so we'll wait." He pushed an arm beneath her and turned them both. Falling onto his back, he let her lie on top of him and grinned up at the girl. "We'll wait and get stronger and we'll go find Renji. Wanna do that?" She gave a nod and he rubbed her upper back with one hand. The girl started to relax against him, too tired to argue. "You're gonna need food soon."

She was starting to tremble from fatigue and nodded again. "I…know that."

Both arms wrapped around her now, holding her against his warm chest. "I'll get you something good so you can get stronger. And when we're both ready, we'll go look for Renji. What if we have to leave the fourth ward?"

Miyu buried her face in his chest, smelling human blood on his clothes and finding an odd sense of comfort in his tight embrace. "I'd…follow you. I'll follow you, even if it means leaving the ward. Even if it means leaving the country."

"Pretty lucky that we both love him, huh?"

"Wh-what? You…love him…?" She opened her eyes and lifted her head, trying to see Uta's facial expression. He looked faintly surprised. "Uta?"

A new grin spread across his face. "Not the way you're thinking. I forgot how funny you are sometimes, Miyu. Nope. It's not like that. It's more like…friends. Best friends. It's different from how I love you."

Her pulse quickened and she lowered her face again, her fingers grasping his shirt tightly. _Love? What? What is he saying? Is the blood loss getting to him?_ She felt a hand leave her back and tangle in her long, neon pink hair to lift her face. A mouth met hers and she tensed, her fingers lightly digging at his chest. His lips parted, tongue tentatively swiping at the blood on her lower lip. She leaned back quickly and blushed red, looking away. "I…I don't…"

"Sorry." Uta smiled gently and ran a hand over her hair, licking his lips.

"I brought some food," Itori announced, holding up a plastic bag in triumph. She stopped in the doorway and cocked her head at the odd change in the room. "You two sure got cozy while I was gone, huh? Anyway, I couldn't find any organ meat. They'll probably bring some back, right, Uta? I did find some good pieces though."

Miyu watched in horror as Itori rummaged in the bag and produced a human forearm. A shiver ran through her and she turned her head away. "I…I can't eat that."

Uta shifted his position, sitting up against the arm of the couch and holding her in place against him. "How'd Renji get you to eat?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that, too," Itori admitted. She sat on the other couch and set the bag of meat on the table.

"It's… _embarrassing_." Miyu took a shaky breath, holding tightly to Uta for reassurance. "I…can't eat it if it looks human so…he would chew it a little and…pass it from his mouth to mine…so I couldn't identify what it was…"

"Uh, what? He fed you like a baby bird?"

"He fed her through a kiss," Uta corrected.

"Awww! That's adorable! I didn't think Ren was the romantic type!"

"If it's not an organ, you have trouble, right?" The blond ghoul ran a hand up and down her back, half-smiling to himself. "It's okay. I'll feed you. I wanna make sure you heal faster. It's not fun if you're hurt like this."


	22. Chapter 22

NeonHorizon: Spicy~

* * *

Miyu stared down at the collection of bottles, her stomach quietly growling. A month had passed since Renji's abduction and, despite searching almost every day with Uta, she had yet to find any clues in the fourth ward. She had no hint as to who the older ghoul was, why he had taken her friend, or where they had gone.

"You guys, it's been a month already. You need to face the truth; you probably won't see him again. That old guy probably killed him or ate him," Itori remarked. She took a swig of coffee from the can in her hand. When neither of the other two ghouls responded, she rolled her eyes and stood. Miyu was still staring at the bottles of blood and Uta was staring at the pink-haired ghoul. "I'm going out to have some fun. Later, Uta."

Silence fell upon the house as the door slammed. Miyu blinked and glanced up from the dark, crimson liquid in front of her. She was sitting at the table in the main room with Uta nearby. A snoring came from the bathroom, indicating that the dog was still asleep on the rug. "…you can go if you want…"

Uta reached forward, a fingertip pressing to a bottle cap and tilting the bottle back and forth. The blood inside lazily ran in response, darkening the glass around the neck of the bottle. "I'm gonna stay with you."

Her stomach began to growl again and she subconsciously put a hand over it, frowning. Long locks of pink hair fell over her face as she bit her lip, embarrassed. Since Renji's disappearance, she hardly ate. She only consumed enough to heal her injuries from the fight that night, but now she was battling hunger. _I need to eat something. I just…can't._

The sound of a bottle cap being twisted off drew her attention. Dark grey eyes lifted to see red and black ones as Uta held out a bottle of blood. "What…?"

"You're gonna starve if you don't have something," he replied.

"No. It's okay. I'm fine. I'm just waiting for some organ meat."

He leaned closer, head tilted. "I don't like you being weak. It's not fun if you can't keep up with me." Uta tilted the bottle, watching it run toward the open neck. "Are you depressed about Renji?" He saw her tense up and smiled a bit sadly. "I miss him, too. But don't you think he'd want us to keep eating and stuff? He'd be pretty mad if he knew you weren't eating."

His words made her imagine it. A disappointed scowl on her friend's face. _Renji would have made sure that I ate, even if he had to force me. Even if he had to feed me that really embarrassing way._ Her fingers twitched and she considered grabbing a bottle of blood. It would at least help ease her hunger until she could get some organ meat.

Uta beat her to it. One hand threaded into her hair and the other lifted the bottle of blood. He moved so that she was sitting with her back against his chest and brought the bottle to her lips, making her drink. The male ghoul looked down, watching it trickle from the corners of her mouth and run down the girl's neck.

Miyu's pulse quickened, but she did her best to drink without choking on the thick, rich-tasting blood. His fingers brushed her hair away from her face, the tips trailing gently over her skin. When the bottle was empty, she felt the wetness on her neck and lips from where the blood had leaked. "You didn't have to do that." She jolted when he leaned forward, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"I don't like it when you're weak." He saw her looking at him and beamed. "You're a really messy drinker, Miyu." She lifted a hand to wipe the blood away, but he caught her wrist and leaned down further.

The second that his tongue came into contact with her neck, she released a quiet gasp. Her eyes clenched shut and she knew that her face was flushed. "U-Uta, what are you-?"

"It tastes better this way. Your flesh must be pretty sweet." He gave her skin a teasing nip and grinned against her neck when she yelped.

The sensation of his tongue dragging along her blood-painted skin sent shivers down her spine and she leaned back further against his chest. Her free hand gripped his knee through his pants, struggling to protest without releasing a whimper. His tongue withdrew, replaced with his lips, and she subconsciously dug her nails into his leg. "What…are you doing…?"

"I want to make you feel better," Uta answered, skimming his lips over her neck. "I don't like seeing you depressed. I'm going to make you feel better."

The hand around her wrist tightened slightly as his other hand moved to her waist. His skin was warm against her exposed midriff as he toyed with the button of her pants and he soon had it open. Her eyes swiftly opened, staring at him from the corner of her vision. "Wait. I'm…I'm not sure…"

"I'll be gentle. Or do you want it rough? I don't wanna hurt you, but I really wanna see the faces you'll make." He moved so she could see his grin and caught the bright hue of her cheeks. "Miyu? Do I need to convince you that I'll be good to you?"

"Ngh~" Miyu's back arched as she felt him latch onto the side of her neck, his lips caressing her sensitive flesh and then starting to suck. Her hips moved against her will, acting purely on instinct, and pushed forward against his hand. Heat was filling her body, pooling mostly in her lower half. "Be…gentle…"

"I'll take care of you." His hand slipped beneath the hem of her pants and into her panties, his palm pressing against the smooth plane of her most delicate skin. "You're so warm. Did you get this warm just for me, Miyu?"

She bit her lip, smothering a gasp as she felt his fingertips prod at her. It was now that she became aware of the wetness gathered there. Miyu closed her eyes again, digging her nails harder into his knee. She felt him rub, gently, but avoided actually pushing past her lower lips.

Uta's mouth neared her right ear, lightly brushing along the shell. "You like this?" To his excitement, she gave a single nod. "You want me to go _in_?" he teased, fingertips slowly moving closer to her entrance.

"C-careful…please…" She felt him lick along the curve of her ear, momentarily distracting her before slipping a fingertip into her entrance. Miyu's hand left his knee and clapped over her mouth to smother a moan, her hips pushing forward in her arousal.

"You want more, don't you? I wanna hear you ask for it."

"That's…so embarrassing! I-I can't!"

"So you want me to stop?"

"N-no, I just-!" Miyu threw her head back against his shoulder as she felt his finger slide all the way in. A moan tore through her, her body shuddering against his chest. He slipped it halfway out and then back in, setting a slow pace and teasing her. When she was finally unable to take anymore, her hips started to move in time to meet his hand and allowed him to pull her right arm around his neck. His lips went to the side of her neck, latching on again and sucking harder than before.

Her breathing became labored, her nails scraping lightly at the back of his neck. She felt her muscles start to stretch as he added a second finger and her eyes widened. "U-Uta, wait a second-!"

"You're really tight," he muttered, nibbling at her neck. "You're still a virgin, huh? I thought Renji would've taken it." He spread his fingers inside of her, the slickness leaking out. His thumb flicked against her panties, feeling the dampness of the fabric, and he grinned sheepishly. "Want me to make you mine?"

"…what…?" She was panting now, her eyes meeting his as he lifted them from her skin. _He wants to do that? With me?_ The girl's heart skipped a beat when she saw him lick his lips. "I-I'm sorry…I don't think I'm ready yet," she confessed.

"Well I wanna do something fun." Uta's grin faltered for a moment before spreading. "I'll make you feel good another way."

Miyu whimpered when his hand withdrew from her entrance and was puzzled when he started leading her to her room. He kicked the door closed behind them and reached over, tugging at the hem of her shirt. "What-?"

"Take it off." He saw her hesitate and pretended to pout. "I'm gonna make it worth your while. This will be fun; I promise."

She was still hesitant, but obeyed. _That other thing felt really good. But what is he going to do?_ The pink-haired girl let him slip her pants off and blushed red when she saw him start to remove his own shirt and pants. "Wait…I'm not ready…"

"This isn't that," he teased, taking her hand in his. He drew her over to the bed and motioned for her to lie down. The male ghoul settled between her legs and ran his hands up and down her thighs, fingertips trailing over her soft skin. "I really wanted to try this with you," Uta admitted, half-grinning. "Will you let me?"

"I…I don't know what you're going to do," she pointed out.

"Hmm. It's gonna feel good. Really good." His fingers hooked into the hem of her panties and drew them down sharply. She started to argue, trying to sit up, and found a hand pressing at her stomach to keep her on her back. His red and black eyes met her grey ones directly, a lustful sort of look to them that made her shiver. "Stay there."

Miyu stared down at him, her hands gripping at the sheets beside her and trying to control her breathing. He held her thighs, pulling them apart a little more, and drew his face close. The same tongue that had licked away blood from her neck now gently lapped at her heated, lower lips. Her hips rose in response, her eyes widening and her head pressing against the pillow harder.

Uta saw her facial expression and repeated the action over and over. A hand edged closer to the heat between her legs and he slipped a finger into her core, forcing a moan from her lips. The tip of his tongue began to circle the bundle of nerves at the top of her opening, giving it special attention as he drove her closer to the edge of climax. At the same time, he slid his other hand between his legs to start giving himself pleasure.

Miyu felt her lips forming his name as a ball of tension formed in her lower half. It tightened more and more, the heat seeming to grow with the feeling. Her hands left the sheets, threading her fingers into his platinum blond hair as her hips pressed forward. Everything seemed to crash, her surroundings falling away until it was just her, Uta, and the pulsing satisfaction of her climax.

She lay still as he pulled away, but whimpered at the loss of his warm lips when he leaned back. Her gaze fell upon his toned body as he looked down at the girl. His hand was tightly wrapped around a part of himself, moving to pleasure himself as he watched her come down from her high. The girl moved without thought, leaning up and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her lips latched onto his. She felt something warm and wet against her stomach, but focused on the kiss.


	23. Christmas Omake

NeonHorizon: I wanted to write a holiday oneshot so...here it is. Someone else called it an omake when I mentioned one for Gray Area so I'm just going with that. This omake takes place before Yomo ever got to the 4th ward. I don't know how many years before exactly, but yeah. This is purely Uta x Miyu. Enjoy and happy holidays~

* * *

"Here."

A box dropped in front of Miyu onto the table and she jumped a little. Peering up at her brother from beneath dark brown bangs, she frowned. "What's this?"

"Your Christmas present. I won't be here for Christmas; it's prime time for hunting. Lots of sad, lonely people. I'll bring us back enough food to last us a few months, but you're going to have to stay home alone for a little while. I'll be back the day after Christmas. Is that okay?" Hideaki took a seat across the small table from her, mirroring her frown. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I just don't know when I'll have a better chance to-"

"No. It's fine." Miyu stared down at the cardboard box. She was trying hard to hide her anxiety. Her brother rarely left her alone, so it was a rather unsettling thought that he would be gone for so long. "Can I open it now then?"

"Go ahead."

She carefully pulled at the tape, her heart beating fast. Any time that Hideaki got her a gift, it was always something good. A new book. New clothes. He always managed to get something that suited her, but was practical. Something that did not cost a lot. Thus her surprise when she opened the box and found a faux leather jacket with a hood.

Miyu extracted it from the box and held it up, admiring the dark material and enjoying the smooth imitation leather beneath her fingertips. "Aki-nii, why-?"

"You don't have anything nice to wear. I saw that those girls that you're friends with are always wearing nice clothes so I saved up for this," he admitted. Hideaki's expression changed. "Do you like it?"

Her lips stretched into a wide smile and she leaned across the table to grab her brother in a hug. "I love it! Thank you, Aki-nii! You're the best!"

He hugged back, beaming. "I had it cropped, too. So your kagune…well, you know."

"You always think of everything." She put the jacket on, finding it just a little big on her. "Thank you, Aki-nii."

A look of indecision began to form on his face as he glanced to the door. He had been doing this a lot lately, but rarely offered an explanation to his little sister. "Miyu, I'm going to ask if you can stay with your friend Mitsuki's family. I don't want you to be home alone."

"I'm already thirteen. I can handle it."

"You're _only_ thirteen," he corrected her. His expression turned stern as he looked down at her. "You know how I feel about leaving you alone."

"I'll be fine. I need to be independent, right?" Miyu offered an encouraging smile. "Don't worry about me. I won't even leave the house and I'll keep the doors locked." The last thing she wanted was to spend the holiday with her friend's family. The pitying looks and questions were something that she wanted to avoid at all costs. Though it took some convincing to make Hideaki agree.

The next day, she woke to find her brother already gone. She dressed for the day, putting on her new jacket, and immediately set off to find him the perfect present. Something to repay his kindness and thoughtfulness. Something equally as nice as the jacket. He would be so surprised.

 **Shift P.O.V**

The air outside was pretty cold, but he was bored. The streets were mostly empty. No one really wanted to venture out into the snow, especially on Christmas Eve. That was why she stood out so much. Uta saw her walking along down the sidewalk, alone for once, with her hands in her pockets and her head bowed.

Instantly, he wanted to approach her. He had wanted to talk to her for quite a while, but her older brother always got in the way. Hideaki had even threatened to beat him up. Not that he was afraid of the older boy. He had seen Hideaki get smacked down by weaker ghouls before; he was really no threat. He just did not want Miyu to see him fight her brother.

Uta walked behind the girl at a distance now, smiling to himself. This could be his chance to talk to her. To make friends with her. She was one of the few ghouls in the area that were around his age and she seemed cool. He already knew a little about her. She was homeschooled by her brother; she could read, write, and she looked like she was probably good at math.

He saw her go into a convenience store and decided to hang around the outside of the store until she emerged again. It was as he was standing there that he spotted a figure behind her in one of the aisles. This changed his plans. Now he was walking inside and into the next aisle, watching the man through the shelves. He smelled like a ghoul and he was a bulky figure. Taller than the two young teens and bearing a shaved head.

A smile curled Uta's lips as he heard the man speak to her. He was asking her what she was looking for, but this man was not a store employee. He was clearly trying to do something. Fortunately, Uta knew exactly what he was after.

"No…um…I was just looking. I-I don't need any help," Miyu's soft voice answered. A footstep as she stepped away from the man.

"Awww, come on. You don't have to be shy! Speak up, kid!"

More footsteps as Miyu hurried away. Uta moved quickly, entering the aisle and confronting the man. By the time he was done, he was afraid that he had lost her and would have to give up for the day. He found her sitting in the snow behind the store, curled up in a ball with her face buried in her knees. Disappointment filled him as he stared at the girl. Her long, chocolate colored locks were falling forward to hide her expression, but she was trembling. Clearly crying. He turned and went back into the store.

 **Shift P.O.V**

 _I'm alone on Christmas Eve. And Christmas Day. I was trying not to think about it. I just wanted to focus on getting Aki-nii's gift, but that man…made me feel so powerless. I'm alone. I'm really alone and I'm just…weak._ Miyu wiped her eyes with the back of a hand, snow falling around her. She shivered and curled up tighter. As much as she wanted to continue her search, the sadness had finally caught up with her and now she felt drained.

Mitsuki and Keiko, her two best friends, were spending the holiday with their families. They had even told her about their New Year's plans, too. Although she never talked about it, Miyu always felt bad when she saw their families. All she had was Hideaki. She hardly even remembered her parents.

 _It isn't fair! They're ghouls, too! Why are their families together while mine is…like this? I don't have parents. I just have Aki-nii and he can't even be here this year._ She sniffed and shook her head.

A soft rustle made the girl wince and look up through her bangs. Standing about ten feet away was a somewhat familiar figure. A boy her age from the area. A boy that her brother had warned her again and again to stay away from. A strong ghoul that hung out with a rather rough group. Miyu drew back a little, watching him.

He tilted his head and pointed down at the plastic shopping bag in the snow. "Hey, you want some? I got a lot."

 _What?_ She narrowed her dark grey eyes and saw that it was full of cans of coffee. Looking back to him, she saw him grin.

When she failed to reply, Uta plopped down to sit in the snow and rolled a can to her. He opened one for himself, still wearing that look of amusement. "Where's your brother? Aki? Is he with a girl today?"

Despite herself, Miyu snickered. Heat rushed to her face immediately as she became embarrassed and she bowed her head again. She simply shook her head to answer his question, a hand extending to pick up the can of coffee at her feet. It was opened and she took a long drink, finding comfort in the bitter beverage. _Why is he here? Out of all of the people to see me break down like this, why did it have to be this boy? He's dangerous. He's scary. So why is he sitting here with me?_

Uta did not attempt further conversation, seemingly content to just sit across from her in the snow and drink the chilled coffee. When he did see her finally stand and dust the powdery crystals from her clothes, he stood as well and extended a hand with the bag in it. "Merry Christmas."

She hesitantly took the bag from him, still a little confused. "…thank you…" Miyu began to walk at a quick pace, knowing that she needed to put some more distance between them. Even if he was acting friendly, she still remembered seeing him tear off another ghoul's arm in the past. _He's dangerous_ , she reminded herself.

As she moved down the sidewalk toward the shopping area, she heard the crunch of snow underfoot as he followed her. It definitely made her nervous, but since he did not seem to have bad intentions, she did not run away.

The girl managed to locate a few used text books for Hideaki; things that she knew he would like since they seemed to be from an art class. Miyu finished up her shopping trip with another small purchase and headed for home. All the while, she felt eyes on her. She remembered Hideaki's countless warnings to keep her distance from Uta and locked her door as soon as she was in the house.

 **Shift P.O.V**

He was fine with not pushing her. As fun as it would be to get really close to her and try to make her talk to him, he genuinely wanted her to be his friend. He did not want to scare her off. So he kept his distance. He made a kind gesture by bringing her the bag of coffee cans. He talked quietly and had managed to get her to say something to him. They were probably the first words she had ever spoken to him.

Uta made sure that she stayed safe while she finished running her errands. If he saw anyone staring at her for too long, he would make sure that their attention was soon redirected. Though he had been forced to take action a few times. A few ghouls in the area were now sporting broken bones.

He watched her enter her house and he remained across the street. The sun had started to set, casting an orange glow across the sky and over the snow. The young ghoul ran a hand over his hair and looked off down the sidewalk, knowing that he should head home. He had spent the day with her, more or less. Even if she had tried to maintain a minimum distance of ten feet at all times.

As he turned to leave, Uta saw her door open again. Dark grey eyes peered out at him and he saw a faint blush rise to the girl's pale cheeks. She crouched, set something down, and closed the door. He walked over, curious, and found a small keyring charm with a note attached. In tidy, simple handwriting, she had scrawled "Merry Christmas". A smile cracked across Uta's face as he looked at the charm in his hand. It was a pink spider with red, beaded eyes.


	24. Chapter 23

Miyu sniffed at the air, her muscles tensing as she caught the scent of her prey. Though she was unable to see through the makeshift blindfold, she could tell the direction in which the human was running and her kagune burst from her back. They moved rapidly, carrying her in pursuit of the prey. In pursuit of her meal.

When Itori had jokingly made the suggestion that she try to learn to hunt blindly, the two female ghouls had laughed it off. It seemed like a funny idea, but not one that should be attempted. After all, so much could go wrong. She could accidentally encounter a dove or she might come across another ghoul. She could possibly be ambushed.

Uta, however, thought that it was a good idea. He started talking about it and the more he spoke, the more it actually made sense. It did make her nervous, but he promised to accompany her on her first blind hunt to ensure her safety. The male ghoul seemed excited to see her attempt this. It made it difficult to say "no".

They made sure to go at night, to decrease the chances of her being spotted by another human. Uta located a lone man that was walking alone; a perfect first target. When the blindfold was secured around her face, it was remarkable how her other senses quickly amplified everything else. Her sense of smell and hearing became elevated and she felt a ripple in her back as her kagune tried to emerge.

 _Food_ , she reminded herself. _I'm just tracking food._ This was the most important part. She had to trick her mind into erasing the human from the situation entirely. So far, she was having luck in this area. With her eyes closed, she could almost picture that a big piece of meat was hung on a hook and was being pulled in front of her.

Stomach growling, her kagune moved faster to try to catch up to the food source. The wind whipped at her long, almost fluorescent hair, and she tucked her legs up to be out of the way. With all four kagune moving at once, she could feel her surroundings and was able to tell how much room she had. The street so far was cold, but she knew that she had plenty of space to move around.

The smell faded and she paused. The sound of running footsteps to her right signaled that the man was trying to escape down an alley. She turned, legs dropping to let her run as her kagune billowed behind her. The scent was getting closer and her ears picked up a gasp as she drew nearer.

A hand reached forward, fingertips skimming the fabric of his jacket. This gave her some idea of how close he was and she quickly moved her hands back. Her top two kagune darted forward, puncturing through the back of his shoulders and holding him in place. She shifted to the side and let her bottom kagune go around his front. Her right hip made contact with his back seconds before her bottom appendages pierced into his gut and pulled sharply in opposite directions.

A sick, wet, ripping sound met Miyu's ears and she gritted her teeth _. Just meat. It's just meat_ , she tried to remind herself. _Meat sounds like this when it's torn. I'm just…so hungry…_ The smell of food reached her nose and brought with it a sense of calm. Her hands had curled into fists, but now her fingers relaxed.

The bottom two kagune finished tearing open her prey's abdomen and the top two drew from his shoulders. The corpse collapsed onto the cold, hard ground with a wet smacking sound. She shivered and hesitantly reached a hand up to her blindfold, but did not remove the covering.

Her nose twitched as she caught the increasingly familiar scent of Uta as he approached. She tensed before his hand rested on her shoulder and when he reached for her blindfold, she pulled away. "I…still don't think I can look," she admitted.

"You don't want to see how you did? It looks kind of cool. Your kagune ripped right through his sides."

"C-can you get the organs for me?" Miyu felt his hand leave her shoulder and heard a rustle of fabric. The smell of food was making her stomach growl even louder, saliva increasing in her mouth as she thought of eating. "You can have the rest."

"All of the organs?" He saw her nod and grinned, but she was unable to see it. "You're really hungry, huh?"

She absently fidgeted with her hair as she turned away, frowning behind her half mask. The hot pink spiderlike mandibles kept him from seeing her full facial expression, but she was still feeling self-conscious. _At least I'm able to hunt. It's just…really unconventional._

Though this was a small step, it still gave her a boost of confidence. Hunting was something that came naturally to most ghouls. With her defect, she had never been able to properly hunt. She had never felt like a proper ghoul. Now she could probably feed herself. She would be more independent and leaving the fourth ward was a real possibility.

When the organs had all been harvested and tucked away into a bag for her, Miyu finally removed the scarf that was acting as her blindfold. She loosened the straps on her mask, letting it rest around her neck, and wrapped the scarf over it to hide it. Her dark grey eyes settled on the blond ghoul that was currently helping himself to bits and pieces of the corpse.

"You can watch other ghouls eat, right?"

"Y-yeah…I just…I can't eat it myself." She brought a hand up, chewing at her thumbnail as she watched him feast upon a particular part of the man's dead body. _Is that…? Is he eating…_ _ **that**_ _…part?_ Her eyes widened as he turned toward her, amusement clear in his red and black eyes as he licked at the piece he had torn away. It confirmed her suspicion that what he was eating was not a finger.

She felt a blush heating her face and turned her head to the side. "Are you ready to go or…did you want to eat some more?"

"I got what I wanted."

Her blush intensified. "Oh. Okay. Um. L-let's go then."

The two ghouls left the alley rather casually, walking side by side down the street. The streetlights in this part of the ward had burned out long ago, leaving the road lit solely by the moon and stars. She watched him, from the corner of her eye, as he chewed on the chunk of human flesh in his hand. _He looks like he's really enjoying it_ , she thought. _Why is he eating something like that though?_

"You wanna try some?" he offered, holding it out to her.

"N-no, that's okay."

Uta stared down at her, his smile growing. "You're embarrassed 'cause it's something like _this_ , aren't you? You know, this is an organ, too."

"Y-yeah, but it looks too human for me. Sorry."

Mischief sparked in his eyes now. "The meat on this part is really tender." He dragged his tongue along the chunk of flesh, collecting blood and grinning when he caught her blushing again. "Come on. Just one lick. You can close your eyes."

"No way…I-I couldn't…I mean, I'm…I haven't…"

"You haven't tasted a live one, have you?" he teased. "You wanna compare tastes?"

"No! I…wh-what are you suggesting?!" Miyu ran her fingers through her hair over and over, anxious. _What is he saying? Like I could…do something like that with a live human. I don't think any ghoul could!_

Uta turned toward her, his grin growing. "I tasted you, remember?" To his delight, her face was turning a bright red. Seeing her this flustered made his heart race and he wanted to push her further. "You wanna taste me, Miyu?"

She stumbled, nearly tripping over a crack in the sidewalk. His hand darted over, gripping her arm to steady her. At the same time, she twisted to face him and caught sight of the meaty chunk tucked between his teeth as his other arm moved to her back. His face was almost a foot away from hers, thankfully, but the closeness still made her nervous. _He has that thing in his mouth! Why is he-?!_

He raised an eyebrow and released her arm, taking the piece of meat from his mouth. "You look cute when you're nervous, Miyu. You sure you don't want some of this? I'm gonna finish it if you don't want any."

"No. G-go ahead." She regained her balance and stood, her eyes widening again as she saw him viciously begin to tear into the male appendage he had taken from the human. Blood ran from the corners of his mouth and he licked his fingers when he had finished consuming the flesh.

"What? Do I have some on my face?" He caught her staring and leaned down.

Miyu's eyes shifted away from him and she leaned up, her lips pressing against his. When she broke the kiss, she drew her tongue along the blood that had leaked out of his mouth, licking it away. The taste of human blood reminded her of her hunger and she pulled away with reluctance.

Uta beamed and ruffled her neon pink hair. "Wanna come back to my place? I think Itori's back by now. Or do you wanna be alone?" When he spoke the last sentence, he gave her a rather suggestive smirk.

"I-I don't think I'm ready," she confessed.

"It's okay. We can still have fun without doing that. You probably wanna eat anyway, right? I heard your stomach growling."

She bowed her head, hiding her blush. _I'm really, really hungry. I almost wanted to bite him after I tasted that blood._ Stealing a glance at Uta, she saw that he seemed to be in a really good mood. Miyu wanted to bring up Renji, but she was hesitant to do so. Any time she mentioned leaving the fourth ward, Uta almost appeared disappointed. Although, if she simply mentioned Renji, he became enthusiastic about finding him.

 _We haven't made any progress in finding Renji so far. We really need to leave the fourth ward. Maybe Aki-nii would help. Maybe. If I could get him to realize that Renji is good. If he knew how important Renji is to me. If I knew where Aki-nii was._ The pink-haired ghoul sighed quietly and was glad to see that they were nearing what she assumed was Uta's home.

Itori greeted them with a smirk when they stepped inside. She was lounging on one of the couches, a can of chilled coffee in her hand. "Hey! How'd it go? You look pretty satisfied, Uta. Did it go that well~?"

The male ghoul wrapped an arm around Miyu's waist and fell onto his back on the other couch, holding her against his chest. "She caught something," he replied. His tone was pure excitement as his other arm crossed the female ghoul's midsection in a hug. "You did really well, Miyu."

Flushing pink as her hair, she frowned. "I-I just followed my instincts. It was easier when I couldn't see the prey."


	25. Chapter 24

NeonHorizon: Hey. I wanted to reply to a question left in a review a while back. I don't know if they person that asked will see this or not. Um. Right. So as far as social media, contact stuff, or stories go...I'm only really comfortable with my Twitter and this website.

* * *

The way that the moonlight illuminated her kagune gave her an elegant sort of flair as she took down her prey. Even from a distance, it was a breathtaking sight. The top two kagune sank into the human's body from behind as they tried to flee, piercing their back and tearing through them like they were nothing.

They crumbled to the ground and she descended upon them swiftly. He saw her long, pink hair fall around her face as she adjusted her mask. It was newly modified to accommodate her hunting technique and Uta could not be more pleased with how it had turned out. He had added a cover for her eyes that could be removed when she needed to see and an opening for her mouth that could also be covered.

As she revealed her pale lips and parted them, he subconsciously tensed in anticipation. Her hands felt the human's body, searching for a tender area to dig into, and soon she was penetrating their side to seize at their organs. The blood glistened beautifully on her delicate fingers as she lifted what looked like a liver. Her teeth tore into it with ease and she settled into a sitting position beside her kill to enjoy the feast.

Uta grinned as he watched her eat. He wanted to join her, or at least move closer to get a better view, but he did not want to risk her deciding to leave. The blond ghoul crouched down, head tilted as he saw her lick blood from her fingers. It stirred an excitement in him, watching her tongue move along her skin and briefly caress her fingertips.

Blood was forming a pool around her on the ground, soaking into her tights and shorts. She paused when she seemed to feel it and grimaced briefly before quickening her pace. The girl was chewing much faster now and eventually struggled to stand, bracing a hand against the nearest building while chewing a human stomach.

Even if she was able to hunt and eat while blind, Uta knew that there were still parts that Miyu would refuse to eat. The sight of the food was making him hungry, but when he looked to the female ghoul, he felt himself hungering for something else as well. Settling on just filling his stomach for now, he strolled over to the corpse and crouched to begin eating.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu tensed as she caught his scent drawing closer. She heard his footsteps, felt his stare, and now that he was approaching, she could feel her heart beating rapidly. "…Uta…?"

"I'm getting a snack," he replied casually.

She winced at the wet sound of tearing flesh and chewed her food slowly. When she finished the stomach, she finally removed the eye covering and caught sight of him viciously devouring part of her kill. Miyu looked away and let her hair fall over her eyes. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, feeling a bit awkward now. _I didn't tell him that I was going hunting. How did he know where to find me?_

"You look pretty cool when you're chowing down, Miyu." This was said through a mouthful of flesh, blood running from the corners of his mouth. Uta glanced up and grinned, flashing a crimson-painted set of teeth. "I like watching you hunt, too. Looks really cool with those adjustments. How'd it go?"

"Oh…it was okay. I think the eye covering works better than a blindfold though. I didn't really feel like I had to hold back as much; it felt secure." She looked down at the covering that she held in her hand. "Th-thanks again, Uta."

"You should wear something pink. Like a jacket or something. It'd look cute with your hair and mask," he pointed out. The boy stood, blood smeared around his mouth and on his hands.

She felt a half-smile tug at her lips. "That…would be a little too much pink."

"Pink suits you." Uta reached out, taking a strand of her hair between his fingers and leaning down. His face stopped inches from hers and the smell of blood was heavy between them. In the next second, he closed the distance. His mouth met hers as he pushed her back against the wall. Slick fingers wove into her neon pink locks, pressing her face to his and sealing their lips in a lock.

Miyu's pulse raced and she hesitantly wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips moved against his, her tongue tentatively sliding along his bottom lip. The taste of blood was joined by the metal of his lip piercing and she shivered at its smooth texture. When she finally broke the kiss, he was smiling and she was blushing red. "Ah…s-sorry! That was kind of bold…"

"I like it. You get some confidence from being able to hunt, don't you? It's cute." He moved his lips down from hers, skimming over the side of her neck. His fingers dipped into the waist of her shorts and gave a gentle pull. "You're all dirty now, Miyu. What're you gonna do?"

The walk back to her house was a blur. When her back hit the bed, she felt a fresh wave of heat run through her. The girl's cheek turned a warm hue and she pressed her legs together, her dark grey eyes staring up into red and black ones. Uta grinned down at her, hooking a finger through one of her belt loops, and raised an eyebrow.

"I-I'm kind of…nervous," she confessed.

"You wanna go slow? We can stop if you don't like it." He tugged at the belt loop, silently reminding her to answer.

"…a-alright…" She jolted a bit as he moved closer. The covering was pressed over her eyes on the mask and she squirmed a little. "What are you doing?"

"Just keep it on. It's gonna make it feel even better. I'll take it off when the time's right," he assured her.

Unable to see him, she had to trust the male ghoul to not suddenly turn against her. Every touch was intensified by her inability to see. She felt the fabric of her shorts sliding down her legs and pressed her legs closer together, heart pounding. A hand moved, covering herself, and she turned her head to the side. "Uta…um…I-I'm still pretty nervous so…"

His grin spread as he looked down at her. The girl's neon pink hair was spread out around her head on the pillow, her cheeks a nearly matching shade. Seeing her act so incredibly shy, even after all of the time they had been spending together, made him want to tease her even more. His fingers skimmed along her legs, up from her knees to her thighs and hips, traveling back down.

He leaned up to her ear and gave it a gentle nip that made her quiver beneath him. "I'll be gentle. I wouldn't want to break you, Miyu."

She felt him pull away and the bed shifted a little. Her breathing hitched as she felt warm breath against the inside of her knee. Miyu's hands grasped at the sheets, nails digging in as she suddenly felt a warm, wet appendage press at her skin through her tights. A subconscious whimper left her lips as she tipped her head back, hips lifting slightly.

His hands moved up to hold her hips, thumbs rubbing gentle, soothing circles over her flesh. "I'm happy that you're as excited as I am, but you have to calm down. You're making it hard to concentrate," he teased.

"S-sorry! Aaah~" Miyu started to pant as she felt his tongue press at her inner knee, caressing her through the thin fabric. The holes in her tights gave him access to some exposed skin and he paused at these points. His mouth would open wider, pressing harder and tenderly sucking. She could feel the fabric of her shirt starting to slip up a little as a hand drifted from her hip.

Uta saw her face contorting in pleasure and drew away from her inner thigh with a smirk. He leaned back a little and brought his hands down to a particularly large hole in the tights, located at her upper thigh. Digging his fingers in, he pulled hard and tore it. A long rip formed down the length of her thigh, trailing upward toward the warmth between her legs.

"Just wait," he promised. A hand slipped between the girl's thighs, pushing aside her panties and he swiftly slipped a finger into her wet heat. She arched her back, a moan seeming to echo through her room. "You like that? I'll give you some more then. I wanna see how much you can take."

She felt her slick opening being spread further open as a second finger entered her. The girl bit her lip, trying with all of her might to not release another embarrassing sound. He slipped his fingers in and out a few times, spreading her juices around her lower lips and testing her. When a third finger penetrated her, she could not smother the moan that forced its way out of her. "Aaah! U-Uta, that's…you're…you're spreading it too much!"

"You've gotta let it adjust. It's gonna feel good."

"This…this is so…embarrassing…" Miyu could feel her muscles loosening around his fingers, but the sheets were getting slightly wet between her thighs. _It feels so full and he's probably looking at me! This is so embarrassing! But…it feels good! It feels really good and when I think about him looking, it makes me kind of excited!_ When she felt warm breath tickle at the sensitive bud above her opening, she tensed in anticipation.

Lips enveloped her most sensitive spot and the tip of his tongue swiped over it again and again. Very quickly, she was climaxing and grasping at the sheets beneath her. The girl's mask was removed as she tried to catch her breath and she found his mouth crashing against hers. She lifted her hips, grinding at him and letting him slide down her tights and panties.

When he first entered her, she felt intense pain. She gritted her teeth and clung to him, fighting back tears. Her muscles took a while to adjust to his size and when she felt better, she gave him a brief nod. _He…tore through it. That part of him is inside of me right now! It feels so warm! He feels so good!_ Her fingers wove into his hair and brought his face down, pressing it into the side of her neck.

He happily peppered her skin with kisses, hands pushing up the front of her shirt and cupping her breasts through her bra. He teased a stiff peak through the thin fabric and was rewarded with her moaning against his neck. She licked away some blood that had leaked from his mouth earlier and he felt a fresh rush of pleasure run through his body. Picking up the pace, he pounded himself into her. He went deeper and harder, claiming every part of her most intimate place for himself.

The pink-haired ghoul lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist and inadvertently giving him a better angle. He was hitting some spot inside of her that seemed to increase her pleasure tenfold, swiftly pushing her toward the edge again. She threw her head back against the pillow, sounds leaving her that were devastatingly embarrassing to her, but fed his lust.

When his climax drew close, he waited until the last possible moment before withdrawing from her. He spilled his essence into the sheet at her side, his face one of pure satisfaction. She looked pleased as well, staring up into his red and black eyes as her fingers trailed through his dyed locks. A smirk tugged at his lips and he leaned down to kiss her. "How was that, Miyu? I told you that you'd like it."

"That…that felt really good," she admitted. She felt him nuzzle against the side of her neck and the action forced another moan from her.

"I'm your first, right?" Uta felt her nod slowly. "Do you wanna be my girl now?" She was quiet, tense. "You can give me an answer tomorrow. I just really wanna make you mine. You're too cute for me to let you get away."

The next morning Miyu was nervously sitting at her table, contemplating her answer. He had gone home later the previous evening and she was now dealing with a little bit of lingering pain from their intimate activities. Each time she thought about him, she felt a fluttery sensation in her stomach and a warm wetness would start to form between her legs. It was embarrassing, but the more she thought about him, the more intense the feeling became.

She was stirred from her thoughts when there was a knock at the door. _Uta? Or Itori? I thought they wanted to come over later though._ Miyu approached the door and paused, her nose twitching. The person on the other side of the door did not smell familiar, but they did smell like a ghoul. "N-no solicitors!" she shouted, hoping to drive them away.

"I am not here to sell you any products or services." The voice was that of a man that was definitely older. "May I have a moment of your time?"

"No. I'm sorry, sir, but I don't-"

"Yomo Renji said that I could find Kurotani Miyu at this address."


	26. Chapter 25

NeonHorizon: A quick message. I was asked if I'm on any other websites besides this one and Twitter. I don't really want to share any social media stuff on here besides Twitter and I don't have any anime fanfics on any other websites.

* * *

Miyu stared at the man for a long moment, the door open just enough for her to get a good look at him. He was indeed an older gentleman, dressed rather nicely. The hat he wore put his face in a bit of shadow, but she could see that his expression was not one of malevolence.

Under normal circumstances, she never would have opened the door when a stranger knocked. Her brother would be shouting at her for opening it for this man. It was only the mention of Renji that made her act differently. She was curious. She was hopeful. "You…said that you know Yomo Renji?"

"Yes. He said that I could find Kurotani Miyu at this address. That would be you, yes? Or am I mistaken?" His tone was not one of impatience. He seemed perfectly fine with waiting for her to speak to him on her own terms. "I was told to look for a young woman with pink hair and a dog that she called "Neechan"."

The girl tensed, her heart beating faster. Her dog was not well-known by her neighbors or the other ghouls in the fourth ward. _He's telling the truth then, right? He knows Renji?_ She looked over her shoulder at the dog as it trotted over, sniffing at the door. When it failed to bark or snarl at the man, she had her answer. His intentions were good, without a doubt. "I'm…Kurotani Miyu. What's your name?"

He took off his hat now, looking upon the girl with kind, gentle eyes. "My name is Yoshimura. May I come in?"

She opened the door a little more and looked past him at a figure standing near the street. A young woman with long, dark hair. The two female ghouls met eyes for a moment before the dark-haired woman scowled. _Is she with him?_ Without a word, she moved aside for the old male ghoul to enter the house.

Moving quickly, she pushed aside some supplies on her table to clear some space and ordered her dog to sit near the bedroom door. Miyu had made some coffee earlier that morning and now poured two cups, wanting to keep this man happy. She recognized him now. The other ghoul's smell and appearance brought forth the memory of the day she lost Renji. _He took him. So why is he here now? He said that Renji told him where to find me. Why?_

Yoshimura accepted the cup of coffee with a smile and sat at her small table across from her. He waited for her to settle and took a sip of the coffee she had made. The older ghoul was unable to hide the displeasure from his face as the taste settled on his tongue. He set the cup down, determining in that moment to avoid drinking any more, and met her gaze. "I'm sure that you have questions."

She fidgeted with her cup, her eyes cast down as she peered in the dark beverage within. "You…took Renji." From the edge of her vision, she saw him nod. "Is he still alive?"

"He is alive and well." Yoshimura paused, waiting to see if she had any further questions. It was clear that she was anxious. He could tell by the sparse furniture and decoration of her home that she lived alone. From what he had been told, she was somewhat withdrawn from the rest of the ghoul community. "He wanted me to come back for you, Kurotani-san."

Her heart skipped a beat and she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Renji…wants to see me?" The girl's voice was just above a whisper.

The man leaned forward a little, focusing on her apprehensive frown. "Kurotani-san, have you considered leaving the fourth ward? I have a proposition for you. That is, if you would like to join Yomo Renji. I've heard that you can read and write. That you have a talent for crafting stamps. I would like for you to join us. I think that you would find yourself more comfortable in the twentieth ward and I could offer you a job in my café."

 _A café?_ She listened to him describe the job and mulled it over, but her anxiety was increasing. The thought of leaving the fourth ward was nothing short of frightening. She remembered everything that her brother had told her, about venturing off alone. Or speaking to strangers. She remembered the way that Uta seemed to tense each time she mentioned leaving the ward to look for Renji.

 _Renji is alive though. In the twentieth ward. He works for this man. But he was still kidnapped. Can I trust this man?_ Miyu bowed her head, taking a deep breath as she considered her options. "Yoshimura-san. Could I give you my answer...later? I need to think about this. Please."

"Of course. I do need to know soon, though. I will return tomorrow for your answer." He stood and gave her a short nod of parting.

When he was gone, Miyu was left sitting at her table with anxious knots in her stomach. It was a lot to take in. Renji was alive. He was being taken care of by the man that had abducted him. Now that man was asking her to join them. Her fingers nervously picked at a loose thread on the hem of her sleeve, her lips twisted in frustration.

 _What am I going to do? He has Renji. I want to see Renji again. I want to know, for sure, that he's alright. But I'd be leaving the fourth ward behind. I'd be leaving behind everything. My friends. My new hunting ground. My business. I don't even know if Yoshimura-san would let me bring Neechan with me._ Miyu fell onto her back on the floor, neon pink hair spreading out over the hard surface.

She thought to the night before. Her intimate encounter with Uta. She had given him her first time and he had asked her if she wanted to be his. Even now, looking back on that moment, she felt her pulse quicken and her cheeks turn pink. If she left now, without even giving him an answer, she would feel terrible.

After this, she found herself thinking about her brother. Hideaki could still return to the fourth ward for her. If she left, she may never see him again. It felt like an eternity since he left, but she was still hopeful that he might return.

Miyu decided that she could not stay in the house alone. The decision was weighing on her, making her anxious. She wanted some sort of distraction. Just something that would take her mind off of the thoughts of loss and fear. Pulling on her cropped leather jacket, she determined to go see Uta.

The second that her door was open, she saw a figure standing out by the street. When her eyes met the other ghoul's, Itori grinned and started waving. Miyu gave a small wave in return, attempting a smile and only getting it to half form. "Morning, Itori-chan."

"You're going out pretty early, huh? Where are you going?"

A faint blush heated Miyu's cheeks as she bowed her head and began walking down the sidewalk, the other girl strolling alongside her. "I'm…actually going to see Uta. Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah; he's at his place." Itori's grin took on hint of amusement as she leaned forward, trying to look at Miyu's face. "Hey, so who was that old guy and that girl that was with him? I saw the guy go into your house. Who was he? What'd he want?"

The pink-haired girl felt her half-smile fall to a frown. _How long was she hanging around my house? Did that other girl see her? Did she see that other girl?_ She pushed her hands into her pockets, trying to calm herself down. Trying not to look too unsettled by how closely Itori was now scrutinizing her. "Who…do _you_ think it was?" She decided to test the other girl.

"Your dad? Your grandfather? A customer?"

"…sort of a customer…?"

"Sort of?" Itori snickered. "What's that supposed to mean? Like he made an offer or something?"

"Something like that," she admitted.

"Okay so who was that mean-looking girl that he was with?"

"I don't know." Miyu sniffed at the air quietly, trying to pick up a lingering hint of either of her visitors. She had left the house not long after Yoshimura and had seen no sign of the other two ghouls. _Where did they go? He said that he would wait for my answer until tomorrow. Are they staying in the fourth ward until I answer? No…why would they? They'll probably just come back._

Itori rolled her eyes, clearly irritated with the utter lack of details she was able to draw from the other girl. "You still haven't found Ren-chan, huh? Uta said you're getting really good at that blind hunting though. Maybe you guys can try actually leaving the ward to look for him some time. You'd probably have better luck, if you ever want to find him. Or find his remains."

Somehow, now knowing that Renji was still alive made her irritated by Itori's insinuation that he was dead. Before, it just made her sad. Now she could feel herself getting angry. "I like to be optimistic," she protested.

"Look at the facts. He was taken and he was probably eaten. You saw what happened that night. I mean, _I_ didn't, but Uta told me. Some guy just snatched him up after that dove hurt him. He probably thought that Ren was an easy meal."

"Stop it."

The short-haired ghoul looked over again and saw that Miyu was frowning deeply, her grey eyes watery. "Sorry."

"It's…it's fine. I just…"

"You really like Ren-chan, don't you? You and Uta both. I mean, I liked him, too. But you guys are kinda obsessed with him."

 _Is it obsession?_ She gave a brief nod as Itori continued to talk. Miyu bit her lower lip, remembering something that Uta had told her a while ago. _He said that he loves Renji, but in a different way. What did he mean? Does he love him as a friend?_ Shaking her head, she looked over at the other girl. "You're…out kind of early, aren't you?"

The girl brightened again. "Yeah; I was out kinda late," she confessed. "I was bored so I went out looking for some fun. You should come with me some time, Kurotani. You'd like it."

"What kind of fun…?"

"The _good_ kind of fun. You know~"

"I…really don't. Are you talking about hunting?"

"Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't take you with me though. I don't think Uta would be too happy about it if I took you with me. He might get a little jealous." Itori beamed and tipped her head back, the sunlight warming her face. "So? What's going on with you and Uta? Are you official yet?"

"Wh-what?! What are you…what are you talking about?" Her face was turning bright red and she nearly tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.

Itori snickered. "You're so easy to mess with, Kurotani!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

He absently chewed on the scrap of flesh, letting the blood run down his throat as he tried to distract himself from his thoughts. She had been on his mind almost nonstop since he left her house. He thought about their night together. How he had slept beside her and woke beside her. He wanted this to be something normal. Now that he was this close to the girl, he wanted to close the rest of the distance between them.

This feeling was nothing new. From the first time he saw her in the fourth ward, always a few steps behind her brother and being guarded so carefully, he had wanted to get closer. He wanted to know her. He wanted her to be his friend. Now he wanted more. Now that he had a taste of that friendship, Uta knew that he wanted to be more than friends.

The night before had been a step in the direction he wanted. He was her first. They had spent the night together; just the two of them. Now their relationship was pushed past just friends. Past even best friends. What it was now, he did not know, but he knew that he wanted to push further. To see how far this relationship could really go.

Although, he still had his secret. That terrible, dreadful secret that would definitely push her away from him if she knew. He was determined to never let her find out. He would do everything in his power to keep her from learning about her brother's death.

Uta was surprised when she was suddenly walking into the room alongside Itori. The short-haired ghoul greeted him enthusiastically and the pink-haired ghoul gave a shy sort of wave. He tilted his head, a little confused by the distant greeting. "Hey. You're here early."

He pushed himself to sit up on the couch, a smile tugging at his lips. Of course, she could only be there for one reason. Surely she had the answer to his question. He was hopeful for a favorable response, but her hesitation was making his pulse race. "Hm? What's up, Miyu?"


	27. Chapter 26

NeonHorizon: Quick shout out to the people that leave reviews! Much appreciated! Things are going to get crazy in the next chapter!

* * *

Miyu's stomach was twisting in knots, even after telling her friends that she planned to leave the fourth ward. The room was silent for a long moment after she said her piece and she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve as she waited for their reaction. She was so nervous that she was unable to even look at Uta or Itori. Her eyes were on the floor, her heart beating so hard that she feared they could hear it. _Someone just say something. Please._

Itori burst into laughter and gave her a pat on the back that almost sent her falling onto Uta. "That's pretty funny, Kurotani! What would you even do if you left the fourth ward? You just started hunting! Can you imagine trying to feed yourself without Uta protecting you?"

She frowned and turned toward the other female ghoul. "I-I'm serious. It's something that I have to do."

"You wanna find Ren-chan, but what're you gonna do if you get hungry? You still can't look at a corpse without throwing up, right? If you wanna look for him with Uta, that's one thing, but you'd be easy prey out there, Kurotani!"

"She's getting stronger," Uta pointed out. He stood now, putting himself closer to eye level with both girls, and frowned. "You really wanna leave?"

"I just…really want to know that Renji's alright," Miyu replied. "I'm worried."

"I'm worried, too." He leaned down, watching her face becoming almost as pink as her hair. "You haven't been out of the ward since you moved here, right?"

The girl struggled to meet his gaze and jumped a little when a hand threaded into her long, soft hair. "No. I haven't left since Aki-nii brought me here."

"You don't wanna leave. I mean, you don't have any family left. What are you gonna do if you leave? Where are you gonna live? Just stay here." Itori made herself comfortable on the couch and grinned. "Besides, you two are finally friends! You don't wanna leave Uta, right?"

Staring back into his red and black eyes, she felt her pulse skip a beat. "I…I don't know," she finally conceded _. I'm scared! I was trying not to think about it too much, but I'm really scared! What if that man actually killed Renji?! I was too trusting! I let that man into my house! If I go with him…he might kill me!_ Miyu blinked, suddenly finding herself being held gently by a pair of arms wrapped around her. "…I don't know…" she repeated.

"So don't go! Just stay here with us!" Itori persisted.

"I…need to think about this," Miyu determined. She cautiously pulled out of Uta's hold and she turned away. "I'm going for a walk. I'll…I'll be back soon. I just need to think for a little while."

Outside, the air felt crisp. She shivered, goosebumps rising on her exposed lower back as she started off down the sidewalk. Miyu bowed her head, thinking back to her interaction with the ghoul that called himself Yoshimura. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became with herself.

He had not given her any definitive proof that Renji was still alive or that the boy had sent him to look for her. The older ghoul had been kind, gentlemanly, but even the most evil people could put on an act when they had a goal. He could have been from the fourth ward for all she knew. Miyu had her usual customers, but knew that there were ghouls in the area that she had never met. People came and went all the time. It was possible that he just knew of her relationship with Renji and was using his name to try to lure her in.

Even if he was telling the truth, which she was beginning to doubt now, she had to wonder if leaving the fourth ward was really a good idea. _I don't know anyone outside of this ward. Itori was right; I don't have any family besides Aki-nii. I don't even know where he is. If I leave, I would be really easy prey for doves or other ghouls._ She lifted a hand, absently biting her thumbnail as she considered this. As anxious as she felt, there was a nagging feeling that Yoshimura might really have her best interest in mind. He could even help her find her brother.

"Kurotani-chan! It's been a while!" a female voice called.

Miyu lifted her gaze to see a middle-aged woman emerging from a house, a pair of children clinging close at her side. "Hello..." She attempted a smile and a wave, but knew that her fear was still very obvious.

"Are you okay? You look really pale. Well, paler than usual." The woman hurried over and pressed a hand to the girl's forehead. "No fever…oh! You're wearing something like that even in this cold?!"

She stepped back, a hand defensively moving to her stomach. "Y-yeah, um…well…I'm used to it." Miyu listened to the woman talk about how she needed some new stamps made for one of her children. She nodded along, but only half-listened. "Right…so, um…have you heard from my brother?" The girl felt immediate regret when the woman's facial expression melted from happiness to pity.

"Oh, Kurotani-chan." The woman put a hand on her arm, mouth turned down into an almost cartoonish frown. As if she was trying hard to appear like she really felt sorry for the girl. "You poor thing. You must be _lonely_. I heard about what happened to the Raven."

Shaking her head, she stepped back away from the woman. "I'm sorry. Never mind." Now she just wanted to walk away. She wanted to go home, lock her door, board everything up, and just forget about the outside world. "I…I need to go. Sorry. About that stamp for you daughter-"

"Oh! Hello there, Uta-san!" The older female ghoul put on a cheerful expression, but subtly pushed her two children behind her and took a step back. "What brings you to this neighborhood?"

"Miyu." He smiled, but it was clear that he knew she would leave soon. The two children had hurried back into their house and the mother was now babbling about wishing him a good day. When the little family had gone, he turned to Miyu with a grin. "If you leave, you're gonna miss stuff like that."

"I'm…not so sure about leaving," she admitted. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she continued down the sidewalk. _I'm not so sure about going home, either. I'll just be reminded of how Aki-nii abandoned me here._ She adjusted the strap of her bag and shook her head again. _I'm afraid of Yoshimura-san lying to me, but I think I'm more afraid that he told the truth. If Renji is alive, I want to see him. I want to know that he's safe. And…if it's possible for me to live a normal life…_

Uta was walking beside her and leaned forward, peering up at her through the pink strands of hair that had fallen forward over her face. "What're you thinking about? Are you gonna make a new stamp?"

She jumped a little when their eyes met. "No…probably not."

"Are you gonna leave the fourth ward?" When she bit her lip, he frowned and stood up straight. "I really don't want you to leave."

"I don't know for sure yet."

"I don't wanna lose you. We just got close," he continued. "You really wanna leave? Even after last night?"

Her chest felt tight as she shook her head. "It's…not about _us_. Not like that." She glanced over and blushed red, remembering the previous night. Remembering her first time, sharing the intimate experience with Uta. Waking up next to him, seeing him off just earlier that morning. When a warm hand gripped hers, she felt her heart skip a beat and she moved a little closer to his side. "I…like you a lot, Uta."

"I like you, too." His pace quickened and he began to lead the way, still holding her delicate hand in his. "I wanna go back to your house."

"W-wait a second! I wanted some time to think-!"

"You can think at your house," he protested. "I just wanna spend time with you. In case you decide to go."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Her bed was soft, the sheets and blanket still smelling like both ghouls when he fell onto his back on them. The pink-haired ghoul lingered in the bedroom doorway, her lips twisted in an uncertain frown. Uta tucked an arm behind his head, allowing him to push himself up a little so he could look her in the eyes.

She was shy as always. Miyu fidgeted, chewing on her thumbnail again and glancing away when he caught her looking at him. Her dark grey gaze fell upon the boarded-up window and he tilted his head. "S-sorry," she muttered.

Of course, he knew what she was thinking about. He would be lying if he said that he had not been thinking about Renji as well. He was worried. After witnessing the other male ghoul get snatched up like a wounded bird, Uta feared that he would never see him again. So when Miyu spoke about lea Renji possibly living elsewhere, he wanted to believe it was true.

At the same time, the thought of her leaving the ward brought him immense disappointment. It had taken years to get to this point in their relationship. To even be able to form a relationship without her brother interfering. _Aki isn't out there_ , he reminded himself. When he thought of her, possibly believing that she could find her brother as well as Renji, it made him frown. _Aki is buried here in the fourth ward. If she leaves, she'll be leaving him._

Uta could never tell her this. He could never confess that her brother was dead. That her brother had actually come back to take her out of the fourth ward and challenged Uta, subsequently losing his life at the younger man's hands. He was not proud of what had happened between him and Hideaki, but it was something that he had to acknowledge. Just to himself. His worst crime against Miyu.

She finally settled beside him on the bed, her pink hair sprawling over the pillow and tickling his cheek. A frustrated sound left her lips and the girl put her hands over her face. "I just…don't know what to do! I don't know what to believe!"

He propped himself up, leaning against the wall behind her bed, and reached over for a strand of hair. Absently toying with it, he saw tears run down her cheeks. "I wanna find Renji, too," he spoke up. "We can go out tonight and look for him in the next ward."

To his surprise, she moved closer to him and peeked up through her fingers. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…I'm really sorry, Uta."

Dread settled heavily in the pit of his stomach and he blinked down at her. "Huh? What're you apologizing for?" He settled the now braided strand of hair beside her face on the pillow and reached for a new strand to fidget with. "You never answered my question from last night."

Miyu sat up and wrapped her arms around him, her hair falling from his hand as he returned the embrace. "Let's…look for him tonight, okay? W-we can look for Renji and…you can sleep here again…with me…"

Uta nodded his agreement, but he knew the answer to his question. She wanted to leave. She wanted to abandon the fourth ward. He closed his eyes as he held her, remembering his last moment with Hideaki. _I don't wanna let you go._


	28. Chapter 27

NeonHorizon: The word "quinque" will haunt me to the end of my days because I can never spell it without having to look it up. Ugh.

* * *

The plan was to look for Renji in the next ward. It should have been simple. It should have been moderately safe since she was going with Uta. Miyu instead found herself blind hunting beside him and feasting on the first humans that they came across.

Chewing on something that she had ripped out of a torso, the pink-haired ghoul tensed and sniffed at the air. _Rain. Other humans._ She frowned, swallowing a mouthful of meat and shuffling closer to Uta. "We…we should go back."

"Hm? I'm not ready to go back yet. Don't you wanna eat more?" He noisily licked blood from his fingers at her side, his free hand gripping onto her sleeve. "I'm still hungry."

"It isn't safe."

"Don't you wanna look for Renji?"

"I-I do, but I just…something…doesn't feel right." Goose bumps rose on her midriff and she tilted her head, listening for voices. _It's kind of amazing. Without seeing, I can hear and smell so much better. If I'd known about this before, maybe I wouldn't have been left behind. Maybe I could have actually helped Aki-nii._

Uta's hand went to her shoulder, resting there gently to try to ease her nerves. He smiled, but she was unable to see it. "I'll keep you safe. Just one more, 'kay? Aren't you having fun?"

Miyu reached up with fingers that trembled and unbuckled the top strap of her mask. It settled loosely around her neck now, revealing the sight of her meal. A middle-aged woman, lying motionless on the ground with her limbs spread out and chest viciously torn open by kagune. Her stomach churned at the sight, almost making her lose what she had managed to eat, and the girl turned away.

Further down the alley, she could see people hurrying down the sidewalk as they tried to get home before the rain started. She pulled up the hood of her jacket, tucking her hair into it to try to keep it dry. "Uta, please…" Miyu winced at the sound of bones crunching, followed by a splatter.

"You wanna go back to the fourth ward already?" He lifted a jaw bone to his mouth, tearing into the flesh that clung to the bone and chewing as he seemed to consider her words. Swallowing, his eyes lifted to Miyu's grey ones. "Are you scared?"

"N-no, I just…don't want to get stuck in the rain," she muttered. She nervously lifted a hand to her lips, licking away some blood to try to calm herself. _I have a bad feeling in my gut, but I can't tell Uta. I know that he doesn't want me to leave the fourth ward. If I say that I'm scared…I'll look weak. He'll tell me that I shouldn't go._ The female ghoul dug the toe of her boot into some loose dirt beneath her, trying to burn away some her anxious energy.

His tongue ran along his lips, smearing a bit of blood, and he grinned. "You don't really wanna leave the fourth ward, do you? You're scared. I can see you shaking. If you're scared, you shouldn't go. You can just stay with me and Itori."

The rain began to fall and Miyu glanced to the alley opening with a sense of urgency. It was a cold rain, drops rolling down her exposed lower back and sending a chill through her. "We need to go…"

"You wanna go back early?" Uta stood now and lifted the jawbone to take another bite. When he held it out to her with a grin, she held up a hand and shook her head. "What about Renji?"

"W-we'll look for him some other time, okay?"

"So you're staying?" His black and red eyes widened with hope and his grin spread a little. Leaning down, he slid his fingers into her hood, into her hair, and drew her close against his chest. His lips pressed against her forehead, leaving a slightly wet, red smudge of blood. "You want to stay with me?" he whispered.

She nodded and gripped his jacket with both hands, the unsettling feeling growing. "I…I'm going to stay in the fourth ward. We can still look for Renji, but…I don't want to live in a different ward," the girl confirmed. Miyu bowed her head, letting it lean against Uta's shoulder. _It's better this way. I don't even know for sure if that man…Yoshimura-san…if he was telling the truth. If that's even his name. I'm safe with Uta._

The boy smiled and continued to trail his fingers through her soft, pink hair. "So do you wanna be mine?"

She nodded, clinging to him tightly. The unsettling feeling was growing. Her stomach felt as though it was doing flips in her abdomen. Every limb began to tremble as the sensation of being watched registered. "We have to go. Please."

"You're ready to go home?" Uta felt her nod against him and noticed her shivering. His red and black gaze lifted, settling on a figure at the opening of the alley. He tilted his head and released Miyu in favor of moving his hand to grip hers. There was another opening behind them that would lead to another street, but he knew without checking that it was blocked as well.

Under normal circumstances, he might have wanted to fight the approaching investigators, but Miyu wanted to go home. More than anything, he wanted to oblige. If he pushed her, he would risk losing her in the fight or worse. She might decide that she did want to leave the ward so she could get away from such fights. Reaching to his pocket, he brought forth his mask and settled it over his face.

Miyu followed his example, buckling her mask into place and removing the eye cover so she could see. The trembling was worse now. It was a struggle to remain standing. Her knees wanted to buckle. _Why am I so afraid?! I haven't felt fear like this in a while. What is this?_ The girl's back muscles twitched, her kagune wanting to burst free.

"It's No Face and the Pink Spider! Be careful!" The investigator's voice echoed off of the brick walls, accompanied by the patter of the rain.

"We're famous, Miyu. Isn't that cool?" Uta's hand tightened around hers.

"I don't like this…" She lifted her gaze to the fire ladder, trying to be subtle. _How are we going to get out of this?_ To her surprise, Uta dragged her along behind him as he charged at the dove ahead of them. "Wait! Wait a second!"

"Let's make it quick so we can go home."

"Uta, I don't-!" She felt a sharp pain across the back of her shoulders and twisted. Her hand tore free from his and she found herself facing another dove that was wielding a quinque. _I didn't want to have to do this! I just wanted to go home! I don't like having to kill people!_ Her kagune emerged in a burst of shimmering crimson and positioned behind her with the points directed at the man.

Miyu pursued the man when he backed away, not about to let him go after Uta. Even though she was afraid, still trembling, she could not allow this man to turn his weapon on her friend. She struck at him again and again with her kagune, aiming for his limbs to try to throw off his balance. If she could just get him onto his back, she could finish him quickly.

It was as the girl neared the end of the alley that she realized her mistake. Embarrassment made her cheeks burn behind her mask as the ghoul saw the group of doves waiting for her. She had fallen for the taunt, ran into the trap without even considering what was happening. Behind her, she could hear Uta killing the other man. Miyu swallowed her fear and tried to maintain a menacing posture, but it was difficult when her knees wanted to buckle beneath her.

"We've got Pink Spider separated from No Face! Hurry up and take her out!"

"No Face just killed-!"

"There's no time! We've got this one so take her out! Aim for her head!"

Grey eyes scanned the group as a few took steps toward her and she felt her pulse quicken with fear. At least a dozen CCG investigators were closing in on her, the nearest wielding quinque as the ones in the back opened their cases. _I'm going to die…? I'm going to die?! I'm going to die!_

The ones at the front of the group attacked and the female ghoul was forced to twist and turn to avoid major injury. She felt cuts opening on her limbs and chest. Someone managed to slash open the middle of her back, dangerously close to her kagune. The crimson limbs lashed out in response, killing that man and swiping at the one that took his place. When a heavy weapon slammed into her ribs from the side, she was sent sprawling onto the hard, wet cement. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and she licked at it behind the mask.

Pushing herself up into a crouched position, she looked around and tried to locate Uta. The male ghoul was attacking the back of the group, hoping to catch them by surprise. The rain had thoroughly soaked his hair. Pale, stray locks fell over the front of his mask as he wrenched the arm off of a dove that got too close to him. Unlike Miyu, he had more fighting experience. It was easier for him to dodge their attacks and retaliate in the most brutal ways that he could.

A quinque shoved through her left shoulder, piercing through her flesh and clothes, pinning her against the wall at her back. The girl's eyes closed tightly, tears forming before she could stop them. The owner of the quinque twisted it, drawing cries of agony from her that were muffled by the mask on her face. She thrashed and gripped at the weapon, trying to free herself.

The man leaned down toward her, grinning. "Monsters like you don't deserve to live. Don't worry, Pink Spider; I'm going to give you a death fitting for a piece of trash like you and your little boyfriend No Face will get to watch!" He got closer and spat on the side of her mask. "And then we're going to take him out, too!"

The mention of Uta dying threw her over the edge. Her fury ignited and she rushed forward, all four of her kagune sinking into his chest and shredding his flesh. Something struck her across the face, slicing open her mask and cutting her left cheek. She was lifted by the front of her jacket and thrown aside. As her new tormentor closed in on her, she raggedly coughed and tried to push past the pain that spread through her body.

As the man lifted his quinque over his head, intending to slice her skull open, the girl's battered form was lifted. A pair of cold, grey eyes narrowed upon the approaching dove and Miyu was held close against her rescuer's chest. Behind her mask, her nose twitched and she struggled to lift her head. "…R…Ren…ji…?" she whispered, eyes going wide.

Without a word to her, he sprinted past the doves and into an alley. The investigators were left to attempt a pitiful pursuit, but he was soon making his way up to a rooftop. The girl was still held tightly in his arms. He heard the humans below making a commotion about needing to find the two missing ghouls, followed shortly by shouts that No Face was still alive.

Miyu peered down at the alleys and streets below, but was given only a few seconds before Renji started to move again. "What…what about Uta?"

"…I…came to get you…he'll be fine on his own…"


	29. Chapter 28

NeonHorizon: Just a quick word. So we're going to be progressing. I want to feature them all when they're older. Like, that's where I want this to go and we'll just keep going from there. Just for those of you that were wondering. I didn't wanna leave you hanging. Enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

Consciousness brought forth a rush of pain and Miyu gritted her teeth to keep from crying out. Every movement brought on a fresh burst of agony from her back and left shoulder. She opened her eyes and the discomfort was overshadowed by an intense panic. The girl's pulse raced, stomach churning as she tried to discern where she was.

Her body was resting on a couch, beneath a warm blanket. On the table in front of the couch sat two cups; one full of coffee and the other with drying remnants of coffee. She pushed herself to sit up, wincing as the wound in her shoulder seemed to tear open once more. "Ngh…where…am I…?"

There was gentle light coming from the window and she heard voices beyond the door across the room. They were muffled, but she definitely recognized the voice of the man that had come to her house and claimed to know Renji. Miyu pushed her hair back away from her face, fingertips brushing the bandage that covered her left cheek. She let her hand slide to her shoulder and felt a similar bandage there.

She slowly started to remember the previous night's events and her eyes grew wide. _Renji! Renji saved me from those doves…but we had to leave Uta! Where is he?!_ Miyu attempted to stand and had to pause, catching herself on the side of the couch when she felt her knees try to buckle beneath her weight. "Ngh…what…?"

A hand went to her stomach as it growled, hunger making her almost double over. _I need to eat. I'm weak._ She glanced back to the cup on the table. The coffee was not steaming, leading her to believe that it might have been there for a while. The second cup's emptiness made her wonder for a moment if she might have woken earlier and consumed it or if she had a visitor. _No food. Just coffee…_

Miyu sat down, unable to keep standing while she felt so weak. Her gaze locked on the coffee as she carefully dragged the cup over to her. A sniff at it revealed no odd aroma; it just smelled like normal coffee. More than that. In her hungry state, it smelled absolutely delicious. She glanced to the other cup again and then brought the coffee to her lips.

The girl drank it quickly, eager to satisfy her hunger. It tasted better than any coffee she had ever consumed before in her life. When the cup was empty, she set it down with a trembling hand and looked toward the door. _I need to eat. I need meat. I think I could even eat something that looked human. I'm too hungry; I can just close my eyes._

As she readied herself to stand again, the door opened and she found herself tearing up at the sight of her friend. "R-Renji?"

He seemed surprised to see her awake and turned his head to the side. The door was closed behind him, but not locked, and he settled on the couch cushion beside her. "I…brought some food. I thought you'd be hungry," he spoke.

Before she could ask him if he was alright or where they were, a wrapped packaged was held out to her. The aroma of human flesh and blood made her mouth water and she was soon tearing into the paper to retrieve the morsel. It was a large chunk of some part of a human. She could not tell for certain where it came from, but she had to hold it with both hands as she took bites.

"Do you feel alright?"

She felt blood trickle from the corner of her mouth as she chewed and she bowed her head. Swallowing, she shifted her eyes to look at him without turning. "I…I want to know where we are. Why were you there last night? Where have you been? I didn't know…if you were still alive or not. Uta and I looked for you for days…and Itori said you might be dead…but we went to look for you last night and…those doves…and Uta…"

Renji leaned forward a little, his pale hair falling forward and hiding his face from her line of sight. He reached out for the empty cups, stacking them on their little plates and turning them. "I was here. I've been here in the twentieth ward. Last night, I was going to your house to make you come back with me, but I saw you and…Uta…fighting those doves."

"Twentieth ward…?" Miyu anxiously reached to the two braids in her long, pink hair and ran her fingers over them. The rest of her hair was loose, albeit a little tangled. Somehow, the act of toying with the braids that Uta had given her helped the girl calm down a little. _I'm in the twentieth ward. Wait. He said he was going to make me come back with him._

Silence settled in the room. She had finished eating. He had finished fidgeting with the coffee cups. Both ghouls were clearly anxious. "…Renji, you…were going to make me…come with you…?" Her voice was just above a whisper, trying to hide her nervousness. Miyu was glad to see him again and she was happy that he seemed to be in good health, but his statement had left her unsettled.

Renji nodded once. "I told him about you…and I wanted to see you again," he admitted. "I didn't want to leave you in the fourth ward. It's dangerous and…I promised that I wouldn't leave without you. But you were going to tell him "no"."

Goose bumps rose on her flesh and she gave her own nod. He was right. As the night had progressed, she was planning to tell Yoshimura "no" the next morning. She did not know the man and could not be certain of his intentions. Everything that Hideaki had told her since they began living on their own made her want to decline Yoshimura's offer.

"I couldn't leave you." His hand gingerly settled on her knee, his skin warm against hers even through her tights. He managed a small smile in her direction and soon felt her arms wrapping around his neck. The girl's delicate frame pressed against him and he let his own arms go around her waist. "I missed you…"

"I…I missed you, too! Renji, you…don't even know how worried I was! I thought you might be dead! I-I thought that man ate you! Don't disappear on me like that again!" Tears ran down her cheeks, dotting his shoulder and soaking into his shirt. Her wounds were beginning to hurt again, but she ignored the pain and held onto him tighter.

"I won't leave you again," the boy promised. He cradled her against his chest, a hand moving up to press at her back. She smelled of blood. Human and ghoul blood mixed, clinging to her skin. Coffee blended with this aroma and he found himself wanting to hold her closer, but it was not possible. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize…please. It wasn't your fault." Miyu leaned back a little, staring up into his cold, grey eyes. She lifted a hand to push his hair away from his face and she attempted a smile. "Renji…I still can't believe you're okay."

He did not return her smile. His lips turned down at the corners, a faint hint of pink in his face as he tried not to make direct eye contact. "…you know that you can't leave…right…?"

"Wh-what about Uta?"

"I…couldn't bring him." There was remorse in his tone and when he saw her smile fall, he pulled her tightly against him once more. "He's going to be okay."

"But…if Aki-nii tries to go back for me…what's going to happen? He won't be able to find me if I'm here, Renji." She felt his hug tighten more and realization set in. "I'm…never going to see him again."

The door opened and the gentleman that she had met the previous morning greeted her with a polite smile. The girl was released from the boy's hold, but she felt his hand reach to hers. He held her hand gently in his, as if trying to comfort her, but still keep her from running. Miyu met the man's gaze and felt her panic returning.

"I apologize for the circumstances that brought you here, Kurotani-san. How are your wounds?"

Her fear was making her heart race faster. The bandage on her shoulder felt wet, as did her upper back where she had been cut by a quinque. "I'm…fine…"

"Did you get enough to eat? We have more if you're still hungry."

"N-no, I…don't need anything else." Miyu moved closer against Renji's side, seeking reassurance. His arm wrapped around her and she turned her face away, burying it in his shoulder. _I'm scared. I want my brother. I want to see Aki-nii…and now…I'll never be able to see him again, will I? He won't know to find me here! He and Uta were never on good terms so Uta won't tell him and-!_ The sharp clicking of nails on hard floor made her lift her head. She was rewarded with the sight of Neechan coming into the room. The dog's tail began to wag excitedly and she trotted over to Miyu, seeking attention. "N-Neechan?"

"I sent someone to retrieve her last night after Yomo returned," Yoshimura replied. "Now, Kurotani-san, I know that you must be confused. I think that you just need some time to adjust. The twentieth ward is a much safer place for someone with your condition. The café can supply you with food that you will be able to eat as long as you work there. Does that sound-?"

"M-my stamps. I make stamps…and sell them to ghouls," she interrupted. Miyu frowned, wondering if he had forgotten that this was her job. "I've never…worked in a café or a store or anything like that."

"…you'll get used to it…" Renji murmured, pulling her close again.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Did you see Kurotani's house?! The door was broken down and her dog's missing!" Itori saw Uta sitting on the couch, chewing on a mangled body part. "You're not out there looking for her? No one's seen Kurotani since yesterday when she was hanging out with you!" The short-haired girl raised an eyebrow and stood in front of him. "Did you do something to her?"

"She got snatched up by a raven," he quietly answered. His brow was furrowed, lips twisting into a frown as he tore off a chunk of flesh from the bone. Leaning his head back to rest on the cushions of the couch, he swallowed and let the bone fall from his hand into his lap.

Itori's eyes widened. "What?! Ren-chan came back? Why didn't you tell me?"

"He's gone now." Uta licked blood from his lips and sat upright again. "We lost Renji and Miyu. I wanna go find them."

"You wanna go look for them? You know where they are? I wanna see Ren-chan again, too!"

"Miyu said she was thinking about going to the twentieth ward, right? That's where they probably went." The boy thought for a moment and grinned. "We'll see them again pretty soon."

"So what about Kurotani's dog? You think Ren-chan came back for her, too?"

"Don't know." He stood, already making his way to the fridge for a fresh snack to replenish his strength. The previous night's fight with the doves had ended in a lot of abandoned human corpses since he had to make a quick getaway. As he munched on a particularly juicy scrap of flesh, his lips stretched further and let the grin spread. Seeing Renji again brought a spark of excitement.


	30. Chapter 29

NeonHorizon: A chapter featuring a reflection of my own crippling social anxiety, acted out by Miyu. Hooray.

* * *

It felt odd to wake up next to Renji after not seeing him for so long. She lay still for a moment, just looking at his sleeping face and trying to imagine what exactly he had gone through after his disappearance. Yoshimura had been right though; he was well. It seemed like he was eating enough and he just seemed overall calmer than before.

Miyu closed her eyes and relaxed against his side again. _I'm supposed to work in the café today._ Her stomach started to twist in knots at the thought of facing humans and serving them coffee. She had seen the uniform at least. It was nice; very professional and not at all what she had been imagining. Renji had assured her that it would be an easy job once she got used to it.

He stirred awake, frowning when she jolted away. A hand reached over, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Miyu…we have work."

She nodded, but kept her eyes closed. "I'm…nervous."

The boy sat up, his hair falling over his eyes and his frown getting deeper. He turned away from her, sitting on the edge of the bed and facing the door. "Are you mad at me?"

Sitting up, she hugged her knees to her chest and looked at the wall across from the bed. "…I'm scared, but…I'm glad that you're alright…"

Renji was silent for a moment before running his hands through his hair. "I was selfish. I wanted to see you again and I took you away from everything." He was speaking in just above a whisper, still not looking her way. "…I won't apologize though…"

The girl's eyes slid to his slouching figure and bit her lower lip. "Renji…it's…going to be okay." She twisted, leaning up to drape her arms around him. Her chest pressed against his back and she closed her eyes, face burying in the tender skin between his neck and shoulder. _His scent. I missed this._

Her embrace seemed to reassure him and the pale-haired boy sat silently enjoying the girl's warm touch. Fingers gently brushed over his bare chest, causing him to inhale sharply. When he could take no more, he finally turned and wrapped his arms around her. The two ended up falling back onto the bed, with her beneath him and his nose brushing over the side of her neck. "I missed you."

Tears threatened to roll down her face, but she managed to stop them. Smiling, she ran her fingers over his back. "I missed you, too."

When they finally parted to get ready for work, Miyu found herself stealing glances over at him frequently. She was trying to inconspicuously check him for any new scars or injuries, but he seemed to be in really good shape. The thought made her begin to blush and she forced herself to focus on getting dressed.

The uniform shirt was a good fit, as was the skirt and the shoes. When she looked at her reflection, she had to frown. The girl in the mirror was dressed like a café waitress. She looked like someone that would be good at delivering drinks and taking customers' orders. This girl did not look like the Miyu from the fourth ward.

 _I can see my legs. I'm not used to going without stockings._ She turned a little and grimaced as the fabric of her shirt touched her stomach and lower back. _I haven't worn a full-length shirt since I was a kid. This doesn't feel right._ Miyu ran a hand through her hair, trying to get through the tangles, and her frown deepened. _This hair. Bright, neon pink hair doesn't look professional, does it?_

She jumped a little when she felt warm fingers run through her hair, pulling it back away from her face. Renji paused when he felt the two braids that Uta had left in her hair, staring down at the braided strands. "I…don't want to take those out," she muttered.

"…these were a gift…right?"

"Y-yes. And this." Miyu drew her necklace from the front of her shirt, a piercing glinting on the dark material. _It looks unprofessional, doesn't it?_ She tucked it away again before he could say anything and felt her cheeks burning pink.

Renji finished pulling her hair back and tied it with an elastic band, frowning to himself. "Do you miss him?"

"I…just don't know if he's alright. He was alone…fighting those doves…"

"He's fine." The frown faded a little as he seemed reassured by his own words. "Uta is strong…he can protect himself."

Miyu felt her pulse start to race the second that she was in the café. The girl that she had seen with Yoshimura just a few days prior was standing behind the counter with a young man. She immediately narrowed her eyes when she saw Miyu and it caused the pink-haired girl to hesitate to go any further.

Renji saw this and reached for her hand, but she pulled away and moved closer to the exit. His expression softened and he gently took her hand. "Miyu…"

"I…I don't want to…make her angry," she started. Her voice was no louder than a whisper as she moved closer to him. "She…she looks angry. I don't want to make her upset. I…I don't belong here. Renji, I shouldn't be here!"

"Hey! I can hear you, you know! Get over here and say it to my face!" the other girl snapped.

 _I can't do this! I can't do this at all! She doesn't want me here! I'm intruding! She knows that I'm not cut out for something like this!_ The girl tried to resist, but the male ghoul pulled her over to the counter. "I…I didn't mean anything…I just…I don't want to intrude…I've never…worked at a place like this s-so…I…um…"

The girl glared down at her for a minute, the young man beside her smirking with amusement. Finally, she grinned a bit evilly. "Nice hair."

"…th-thank you…?"

"You look more like a punk than a waitress. You think this is that kind of place? What kind of customers do you think you're going to attract looking like that?"

Miyu flinched. "I'm…I'm sorry…"

"Go easy on her; she's from the fourth ward," the young man spoke up. "Hey, there. Your name's Miyu, right? I'm Koma and this is Irimi."

By this point, the girl was trembling and was about to offer her hand to shake, but Renji intercepted and gripped it before Koma could reach for it. "N-nice to meet you," she muttered.

"So you're Yomo's girl, huh? I thought you'd be louder. How does it work with two quiet people?" Irimi taunted.

 _I'm going to die. She's going to kill me or this Koma guy is going to kill me._ Miyu anxiously chewed her thumbnail as Renji spoke to Irimi. When she heard Yoshimura's voice behind them, she was almost ready to start to crying. _I've never been in a situation like this! Aki-nii introduced me to people in the fourth ward and before we were there, I never had to actually talk to people!_

Her duties were explained to her and Miyu tried to remain calm. For her first day, it was simple tasks. She would be collecting empty cups and plates, washing dishes, and wiping tables. No interaction with other people unless absolutely necessary.

As the day progressed, she started to get used to the work. It was still very anxiety-inducing, but she found ways to at least cope with it. As she collected some cups from an empty table, she felt a lock of bright pink hair fall forward beside her face. _It will get better_ , she reminded herself. She tucked the hair behind her ear and turned to go to the counter so she could leave them with the other dishes to wash. Her dark grey eyes met Irimi's glare and she tensed.

 _We've barely talked. Does she not like me because I'm from the fourth ward? Or is it something else? I don't want her to dislike me. She doesn't look much older than me so I'd rather…just get along. I won't hope for friendship. I just want her to not hate me._ Miyu went behind the counter and set the cups with the other dishes to be washed. When she looked out toward the rest of the café, hoping for more work, she caught the girl beside her glaring once more.

It was only when Miyu met her gaze directly that her expression seemed to soften. She turned to look at the customers, smirking slightly. "We need to do something about that hair. What are you doing after work?"

"Um…I don't know." The girl frowned and bowed her head, the loose lock of hair falling forward over her face. "Irimi-san…I'm sorry if I've done anything to offend you. I honestly…just want to get along. I want to be able to live in this ward and…have a real job like this one." She jumped when she heard the other girl sigh.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry." Irimi actually smiled at her now. "I'll help you with your hair, okay? What's your natural color?"

"S-sort of a…reddish brown."

"Chestnut?" She saw the girl nod. "And you bleached it to get this neon pink? Whose idea was that?"

Miyu felt fingers brush the side of her face as the girl lifted the strand of hair that had fallen free. "My friends…thought it would make me look cool."

"Too much bleach can fry your hair. We'll fix it tonight. Just tell Yomo you've got plans after work."

When Miyu began collecting empty cups again, she could not help but smile to herself. _She was just testing me. She just wanted to make sure that I was serious about working here, right? Maybe she's actually a nice person._

Renji appeared a little confused when she brought up Irimi's offer. The two were on a short break while the café had few customers. "…do you want me to go with you…?"

"No…um…I should do it alone," she assured him. "I-I'm pretty sure she just wants to help me." She blushed when he leaned toward her, running his fingers through the loose strand of hair. "Renji?"

"You're coloring it?"

"Yes. I want to look more professional…I don't want customers to stare at me because of my hair…and I don't want to give Yoshimura-san's café a weird reputation." Miyu's heart pounded in her chest as she felt the back of his fingers skim over her cheek.

His lips twisted into a frown. "I've never seen your real hair color."

"…do you…prefer it pink…?" She had not considered his feelings about her hair color. To be fair, Miyu had not really given her hair much thought since her friends colored it for her, just before his arrival in the fourth ward. She knew that Uta really liked the neon pink shade, but Renji had never voiced his opinion.

The pale-haired ghoul shook his head. "I want to see what you really look like," he confessed.

At the end of the day, Miyu was relieved to be done with her first day of work. _It wasn't so bad. I really don't want to have to talk to customers, but I know that I'll have to do that eventually._ She frowned as she changed clothes. _I'm…having Irimi color my hair tonight. I need to be able to talk to her._


	31. Chapter 30

NeonHorizon: **SUPER IMPORTANT!** There is a time skip from the last chapter. They were teenagers in the previous chapters, but from this point on, they are adults. I don't want anyone to get confused so I hope that everyone reads this little part up here!

* * *

Miyu could feel an intense gaze directed at her, but it went ignored. Narrowing her eyes on the chunk of wood in her hand, she continued to work at it with the carving tool. The edges were still a little rough and it was awkward to hold. The shape was taking a while to form; it was a harder wood than she was used to working with. _Worth the money_ , she reminded herself. _It's going to be worth it._

"You had another rough day?"

She jumped, almost dropping the little wooden figure. A quick look around reminded her of where she was and she felt her cheeks heat with a blush. "Uh…y-yeah. Kind of." The woman set the carving down along with her tool and anxiously ran her fingers over the braid hanging beside her face. _How can she tell?_

Itori leaned forward across the counter more and picked up the wooden figure, turning it as she tried to guess what it was. "You always super focused like that when you've had a bad day." She smiled back at the other female ghoul. "You need to loosen up, Kuro-chan! You're always wound so tight!"

"I…guess so." Miyu sighed and ruffled her hair. The long, wavy chestnut locks fell forward over her face for a moment and she pushed them back, grimacing. "…he's out tonight…without me…" she muttered.

"Ren-chan? Wait! He's running one of those errands _without_ you?!"

"Yeah. I don't know what it is…or where he is. And also…" She heard the door open and tensed for a moment. Her pulse quickened until she saw a familiar face.

Uta tilted his head and lowered his sunglasses, red and black eyes meeting her grey ones. "Miyu's here?"

"Ren-chan went out without her," Itori explained.

While the other female ghoul was just surprised, Miyu could not help but worry. Since relocating to the twentieth ward with Renji, years ago, the two were rarely apart. She still worked in the café, but always volunteered to help Renji when he went on errands after hours. In addition to this, she was also accepting orders for hand-carved wooden figures and stamps. The figures were oddly popular with the usual patrons.

Miyu had decided to go to Helter Skelter because she did not want to be alone that evening and was not about to ask her coworkers or Yoshimura to keep her company. _I'm ridiculous. I don't even know what to do with myself without Renji around. Look at me; just sitting in a bar, carving at a piece of wood like some kind of weirdo. If Itori had any other customers, I'd probably scare them off!_

Uta took the seat beside hers and accepted the wooden piece from Itori to look it over. A glance over at Miyu showed various wooden shavings on the bar in front of her. "It's a horse?"

"Someone ordered it for their daughter. As a good luck charm. So…I'm supposed to make it small enough to fit in a pocket," she muttered.

"Don't you ever take breaks? You're working, what? _Three_ jobs? You should just quit and work here with me, Kuro-chan. You're pretty cute. You could draw in more customers." Itori brought forth a bottle of red, vicious liquid and proceeded to pour three glasses. "Here; this should help you relax a little."

"When does it need to be done?" Uta's hand inched toward the carving tool.

Miyu accepted the glass from Itori with a slight frown. "There's no due date…but…I needed a distraction." At this, his head turned toward her and she lowered her gaze to the blood in front of her. _I don't know if I'll ever get used to seeing him with those tattoos…and that hair. Black hair looks more natural, but…he's sort of…scary now. He acts calmer, but I can't forget when he bit off Aki-nii's fingers and broke his legs._ She shivered and began to sip her drink.

The other two ghouls exchanged a look. "What did you need a distraction from anyway, Kuro-chan? Is it just that Ren-chan went out or-?"

"Someone…I think someone might be stalking me," she quietly admitted.

"Stalking you?" The male ghoul turned toward her in his seat and leaned in to try to see her face. Her normally pale cheeks were a faint pink, but her expression was not one of embarrassment. It was a look of unease. Almost fear.

Itori finished her glass and raised an eyebrow. "Is it a ghoul or a human?"

"…ghoul…" Miyu shook her head and frowned. "He…comes to the café. _A lot_. And only on days that I'm working. I didn't even notice until Irimi pointed it out today. I let my guard down and this guy…knows my work schedule and…I noticed him staring at me today…and he stayed in the café until it was time to close. When I got ready to leave, I saw him standing around in front of the building so I had to go out one of the windows and take back alleys to get home."

The female ghoul across the bar stared down at her in disbelief. "What? Seriously?! Yeah; that sounds kind of like a stalker, Kuro-chan!"

"He was staring at you?" The question came from Uta as the man set down the wooden figure he had been examining.

Glancing over at him, she felt her pulse skip a beat. There was an intensity in those red and black eyes that she had not seen in a while. It was both exciting and terrifying. "I…I can handle it," she tried to assure him. "Um. I actually talked to Yoshimura-san about changing what days I work. And I'm going to take a different route home for a while. When Renji gets home, I'm going to tell him about what happened, but Koma said that he would walk me home if Renji can't."

"Pfft! You're too cute, Kuro-chan!" Itori reached across the bar and pinched her cheeks, snickering to herself. "Look at how red your face is! Aww! Some poor guy has a crush on you and he doesn't even know how to handle it! That's _hilarious_!"

Beside her, Uta lifted the wooden carving again and absently ran his thumb along the jagged edge of the horse's back. His mouth was turned down at the corners and his eyes half-closed in deep thought. "Where's Renji tonight?"

Miyu's face was an even brighter red as Itori teased her. When she finally managed to get her cheeks out of the other woman's grasp, she settled back onto her seat and frowned. "Ah. He's running an errand for Yoshimura-san."

"Hm." He set the figure down, but it immediately fell onto its side from its uneven legs.

"You'll walk her home, right?"

His gaze lifted from the toy and his expression softened. "Of course."

"Thank you." She quietly sipped her glass of blood and listened to Itori ask him about his day. Reaching over, she reclaimed her art project and began working on it once more. Again, the piece was slowly taking shape beneath her carving tool and she frowned. _I can't believe I let Uta see this with its legs unfinished. It's an embarrassment._

The evening progressed and she checked her phone every so often, hoping to hear from Renji. By midnight, she knew that she would need to go home. She looked down at her carving and realized that she had managed to finish it without even noticing. _I was so focused on Renji. I feel kind of bad about not taking part in the conversation…_ Her gaze shifted to Uta as he said good night to Itori and she shoved the figure into her pocket.

The night air was cold and it raised goose bumps on her arms beneath her coat. She found herself thinking about a night long ago when she had hunted with the ghoul standing next to her. This, in turn, made her remember all of the humans that they had killed together. The meals they had shared and the CCG investigators that had been slaughtered.

The thought of blood made her stomach growl quietly and she bit her lower lip. Beside her, Uta smiled and began walking. "I'm sorry about this," she started. "Maybe…maybe when Renji comes home, I can ask him about-"

"It feels like when we were kids, doesn't it? Just the two of us." The streetlights gave his piercings a certain shine that caught her eye. "I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you sooner. We could've had more time together before you left."

She rubbed the back of her neck and looked away. "Y-yeah, well…you know how Aki-nii was. Um. You still haven't heard from him?"

Uta paused in his steps at the corner of the street, head tilted. "Miyu…what if he died? It's been years since you heard from him."

The woman turned back toward him, eyebrows furrowing. "What? His girlfriend…would have told me, right? Did you hear from her?"

"What if they both died though? What if Aki and Himeko both died? You would be sad, wouldn't you?" he persisted.

The thought of her brother being dead, without her even being able to say a proper farewell, made her stomach drop. Turning away, she tried to hide the tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes. "I guess…even though so much time has passed…I'd still be sad. Aki-nii was my only family."

Arms wrapped around her from behind and she felt warm breath beside her ear. Miyu lifted her hands to settle on his forearms, trembling as she fought to not cry. Uta held her tighter against his chest and closed his eyes. "I haven't heard anything. I'm sorry, Miyu. I was just curious."

 **Shift P.O.V**

He had not been to the new apartment and was a little surprised when she let him in. Miyu and Renji had gotten the apartment together not long ago, after having to relocate. The sitting room had a plush sofa and multiple shelves of books as well as a display case full of wooden stamps and carved figures.

Bottles of water and cans of black coffee lined one wall in crates, obviously purchased in bulk. Uta tried to imagine Miyu going to a supermarket for a sale and acquiring them, but the thought just made him want to laugh. He was still trying to come to terms with her acting so "normal". It was odd when he compared her to the Miyu he knew in the fourth ward. The girl that he had formed such an powerful crush on from the moment that he saw her.

Uta spotted the urn that held her dog's ashes and frowned. The name "Neechan" was positioned in front of it on the shelf, carved on a high quality block of wood in Miyu's handwriting.

The female ghoul had gone to the bedroom already, saying that she had to get to the café early the next morning. He settled on the couch, making himself comfortable. There was no way that he was going to leave her alone for the night. Not with Renji out and definitely not with someone stalking her.

Red and black eyes stared up at the ceiling as he frowned. A finger moved, fidgeting slightly with his lip piercing as he considered this new predicament. _I can't let this go_ , he determined. This was nothing new. Just the previous month, he had seen a particularly shady gentleman looking her over when she visited his shop in the fourth ward. That particularly shady gentleman was now dead. Even after so much time had passed, he still loved her intensely.


	32. Chapter 31

NeonHorizon: Miyu's stalker is loosely based off of an actual guy that I had the displeasure of interacting with once. Enjoy.

* * *

Miyu woke to the feeling of an arm around her waist, a warm body pressed against her back. She could smell blood and it made her tense for a moment. _Human blood…?_ Her eyes flitted to the alarm clock beside the bed and frowned. It was an hour before she had to be at Anteiku. _What time did he get home? I didn't hear the door open._

She carefully slid out of his embrace and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling it move a bit as he stirred in his sleep. The bedroom door was closed, the apartment quiet. Yomo's shirt was lying wrinkled on the floor at the end of the bed and gave off a faintly bloody aroma. It made her stomach twist in anxious knots and soon she was looking over her shoulder at him.

He was frowning in his sleep, a hand resting on his chest and the other gripping gently at the blanket. There were no visible wounds on his face or chest and it let Miyu relax a little. Though she still wanted to know where he had gone the previous night. _There's human blood on his shirt and he smells like blood. If he was just going to the ravine to get bodies, he would have told me. So what happened?_ He moved again, head turning toward her and his eyes still closed.

The woman reached over and carefully pushed his pale hair away from his eyes. She knew that she had to go to work, but she hated leaving him alone. Especially after being separated and not knowing where he had been. Shaking her head, she decided that she would ask him later. She would not accept any excuses or evasions; she deserved an answer.

Miyu's style had changed a little since the fourth ward. She did not like to dress flashy like Uta or Itori, but she tried to look nice. She selected a pair of red pants and a black shirt with short sleeves. Red ribbon ornamented the low neckline of her shirt, highlighting her collarbone and neck. She pulled her warm chestnut hair back with a matching red ribbon and stepped out of her room with the intent to make coffee, but froze.

Uta looked over from the small kitchen and tilted his head. "Renji's still asleep?"

"Ah…y-yeah. He seems pretty tired," she replied, closing the door behind her. "Did you sleep here last night?"

"Is that okay? I didn't want to leave you alone and I accidentally dozed off." He gestured toward the two steaming coffee cups on the kitchen counter. "I made coffee. It's not much of an apology, but-"

"No. Um…you don't need to apologize. I appreciate you staying." She accepted a cup when he offered it and blew gently to try to cool it down. "Sorry. The couch…probably wasn't comfortable."

"It's not bad." He watched her drink and smiled. "You have work today?"

"Yeah. You're probably busy today…with your shop. I can get to work by myself; the guy that watches me doesn't usually come in until afternoon so…" To her surprise, he stepped closer and leaned down. "Uta?"

His gaze softened a little and his smile returned. He shook his head and took her now empty coffee cup from her to put it in the sink. "I set my own hours so I'll walk you to Anteiku. It's better not to risk anything."

She felt warmth creeping onto her cheeks and shrugged. "Ah…alright."

The walk to Anteiku was mostly uneventful, with the exception of him asking her to carve something for him. As she changed into her uniform, she could not help but smile to herself. _He wants a spider figure. He didn't really specify what kind of spider, but…why does that request make me feel kind of giddy? I haven't heard the name "Pink Spider" in years._

"Did you have a good morning?" Irimi spoke up.

Miyu glanced over and allowed her smile to grow. "N-not for the reasons you're probably thinking. I got a request for a carving and it's…kind of nostalgic for me," she confessed.

The other woman glanced toward the door and raised an eyebrow. "Uta walked you to work today, right? Did Yomo make it back?"

She nodded. "I don't know what time he came home, but…he was there when I woke up." Miyu was tempted to ask her if she knew what sort of errand he had been sent on, but hesitated. _I don't want to go behind his back like that. I'll just ask him when he comes in later._

It was shortly after the café opened that Miyu felt herself being watched. She lifted her gaze from the cup of coffee that she was preparing and scanned the café. There were few customers this early in the morning. A couple was sitting at a table near the door and she saw a pair of male ghouls enter to seat themselves further from the entrance. These were just regular customers.

The woman wanted to shrug it off as paranoia, but it was a difficult feeling to dismiss. The couple were looking at each other, talking about some sort of large purchase that one of them had done recently. The male ghouls were discussing something that one of them had seen on television the previous night. No one was looking at her, but she still felt herself being watched.

"Hey, you okay? You look kinda pale," Koma spoke up.

"Ah. Yeah…I'm fine. Oh!" She jolted as hot coffee made contact with her hand and rushed to clean up the mess, realizing that the cup had overflowed. _This is bad. I can't be distracted at work! Yoshimura-san would be disappointed; I'm acting as fidgety as when I first started here!_

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Koma persisted, taking the cup from her. He gave her a serious look and glanced toward the door. "If that guy gave you trouble last night after you left-"

"I can handle it," she interrupted. "Please. It's fine. Just don't worry about it, Koma-kun. Everything is fine."

He saw her flash a faint smile and frowned. "If you say so. Yomo made it home last night, right? Is he walking you home?"

She nodded and that seemed to satisfy him. The man went to deliver the coffee and she was left alone with her thoughts. _I'm lucky to have such nice coworkers_ , she thought as she ran a hand over her hair. _I can't imagine working alone like…some people do. Like Uta. He runs HySy by himself in the fourth ward; that can't be a safe job._

The next hour passed at a slow pace, the customers coming and going. The feeling of being watched persisted and Miyu could not ignore it. She was cleaning a table when she finally felt her sense of unease seem to reach a climax. Her heart beat so fast and so hard that she feared it might cause some sort of nosebleed. Miyu lifted her gaze from the table's shining surface and she felt her stomach drop. Dark grey eyes met a pair of warm brown ones and she took a step back.

"Good morning, Kurotani-san. Wow! That red ribbon looks so good with your hair color! You're even prettier than usual!" The young man planted a hand on the freshly cleaned table and leaned forward, almost as if to try to kiss her. He smiled brightly, mistaking her look of panic for one of delighted surprise.

She saw that there were other customers in the café, as well as Irimi and Koma. Forcing a smile, she gestured toward another table. "If you'd…like to have a seat…I'll be happy to take your order." Her voice was soft, trying to hide any shred of fear from leaking in.

This particular customer was always like this. He would come in, usually in the afternoon around the time when her shift would normally start. He would always compliment her and be really polite. The creepy part came when he started to mention certain things about her. He would try to casually bring up that he saw her in a certain part of the twentieth ward on a specific day at a specific time. He mentioned brands of things that she just happened to always buy when she shopped. He once asked where she lived.

The previous day, he had said something a little unnerving. It had seemed normal enough until Irimi mentioned that he might be stalking her. He had said that it was sad to see her leave by herself in the evening and that she deserved to be walked home by a gentleman. Before she suspected that he was stalking her, this could just be shrugged off as him having old-fashioned ideas. Now, it chilled her to the bone. He knew that she walked home alone. How many nights had he watched her walk home?

"You're here earlier than usual. Did you change shifts with someone?" The young man gave her a look of concern and leaned closer. "You look pale. Are you alright?" He reached out to try to put a hand against her forehead, but his wrist was caught by a tight grip.

Irimi gave him a look that made him back up a little and she released his arm. "Sir, please don't touch the employees."

He flushed pink and pushed up his glasses. "I'm sorry; I was trying to make sure that she was alright. I'm worried about Kurotani-san. Maybe someone should walk her home. I'm not doing anything today; my classes were cancelled at the university. Would you like for me to walk her home?"

The dark-haired woman frowned back at him. "She has a boyfriend."

"I-is that true?" The younger ghoul glanced from Irimi to Miyu, his eyes going wide. "That can't be right! No…no, no, no. You're mistaken. Kurotani-san isn't seeing anyone. I haven't seen her with a guy. I've only seen her with you or that other girl that works here sometimes."

"I have a boyfriend," Miyu confirmed. _How often does he watch me? He's seen me out more than once if he knows that I sometimes hang out with Touka._ Swallowing her anxiety, she made herself stare him in the eye. "I've been with him for ten years now; it's serious. I apologize if you misunderstood."

It was at this point that he seemed to have a full-blown meltdown. The younger ghoul kicked a chair over, not caring that the other customers were staring now. "No! This is unacceptable! You're seeing someone? But he never walks you home! I've never seen you walking around with a guy! You're lying to me; it's the only explanation! I won't accept this!"

He made a grab for Miyu's wrist and was caught yet again by Irimi. The other customers did not see the woman's cold, narrowed gaze, but it made him freeze in place. She nodded toward the door. "Leave."

The young man's face crumpled, turning red with fury. "I'm not leaving until I'm done talking to her! I'm not finished saying what I want to say and I'm not afraid of some stupid bi-!" He stumbled backwards, a bright handprint on his cheek and his eyes going wide behind his glasses.

Miyu was shaking with a mix of anxiety and rage, but refused to back down. "Sir, we are a business. We…don't tolerate customers assaulting our staff…physically or verbally. Now I suggest that you leave before I contact the police and have you escorted off the premises."

He stared at her in shock and grimaced. "This isn't over! I won't forget this!"


	33. Chapter 32

_He got rejected._ Uta watched the younger ghoul step out of Anteiku, indignantly rubbing his wrist and glaring over his shoulder into the café. This could only be Miyu's stalker. No one else really drew attention to themselves like this kid did and he was obviously upset about something. He had entered the café alone and left alone.

Making a mental note of the boy's appearance, he turned and started off. Miyu would probably be upset if she happened to look outside and notice him loitering across the street. He had plans for the day so it was fine. The sooner he returned to his studio, the sooner he could continue working on his project.

Itori had brought it up not long ago and it had been creeping into his thoughts every so often since then. Miyu was oblivious to most things. This stalker only confirmed that; Uta had watched him watch her from the sidewalk for almost an hour before the boy had entered the café. She knew Anteiku. She knew Renji and some of the errands that he was sent on. She did not know what he and Itori were doing and she never once mentioned the Clowns.

Sitting down in his studio, his project settled before him on his desk, he frowned. _What would she do if I told her? Would she want to join us?_ Uta took the brightly colored material in his hands and examined it. He remembered how much time and effort it took just to get her to show her kagune. It seemed unlikely that she would want to join unless Renji joined. That would complicate things and he was sure that Renji would refuse.

The mask was held up and he frowned to himself. If he could convince her to join them, it would be worth it. She might be a little out of practice, but once she started fighting again, he knew that she would be a good edition. After Renji, she was one of the most difficult opponents he had ever faced. A smile tugged at his lips when he remembered their first fight.

 _I want her to join_ , he decided. The mask was tossed aside and he reached for his notepad to start writing down ideas. A rough sketch started to take form and soon he was looking at a very pleasing mask design. Something that would suit her, but would also be practical. Something that captured her style, but also held a nostalgia. Something that, even with its spider-themed design, managed to appear clown-like. _I can't wait to see her wear this._

 **Shift P.O.V**

"That guy just couldn't take "no" for an answer," Koma commented once the customers were all gone. He looked toward the door and shook his head. "I almost lost it when he offered to walk you home, Kurotani. Isn't Yomo still asleep?"

"…yeah…" She was trying to focus on cleaning a cup, but now she was worried. _If he knows that I walk home alone, what if he knows where I live?_

"Can you imagine if that guy _did_ walk you home? Yomo's there so-"

"If he comes back into the café, I'll handle him," Irimi interrupted.

By the end of her shift, Miyu had learned that Yomo had been called to run an errand so he was unable to walk her home. She changed back into her casual clothes and lingered near the café door, staring down at her phone for any updates from him. _Why did this have to happen today? And…Uta isn't answering. What am I going to do?_

Touka saw her frowning down at her phone and approached. "Hey, I heard that you have a stalker. Do you need someone to walk you home?"

"No…it's okay. I can manage." Miyu went outside, pausing to glance up and down the sidewalk. There was no sign of the college student. She still felt extremely exposed, being out in the open. When she was very young, her brother had told her all of the horrible things that men were capable of. Then he told her that all of those things were ten times worse if the man was a ghoul. As she strolled, she moved closer to the buildings and tried to walk as quickly as possible.

 _I can't go straight home._ One thing that Hideaki had always told her was that she should try to throw off creeps before they made it to her home. _I'll stop somewhere. I'll stop at a book store or another café. I'll take a different route home, too. Aki-nii…wouldn't like it if I do something stupid._

Thoughts of her older brother sent a pang of sadness through her. She remembered her conversation with Uta the previous night. _Maybe Aki-nii went overseas. He liked American movies a lot._

 **Shift P.O.V**

He saw it happening and knew that he had to move quickly to intercept it from escalating. It was late afternoon. Later than he had intended to be there, but he was there nonetheless. Uta followed them at a distance, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. _She really doesn't know that he's there, does she?_

Miyu was walking much further ahead of him, unaware of his presence. In addition to that, she was unaware of the younger ghoul walking behind her. He kept several people between them, but it was still obvious that he was staring at Miyu. He was still fixating, still angry about her rejecting him.

Uta quickened his pace to get closer, looking at the boy more closely. The other ghoul looked to be in his early twenties. Glasses. Hair kind of scruffy. Clothes kind of plain. He was wearing a backpack before, but it looked bulkier now. Raising an eyebrow, the older ghoul had a bad feeling about it.

Up ahead, Miyu was turning a corner. The boy adjusted his bag and began to stride more confidently. Before he could reach the street corner, he felt a hand tightly grip his upper arm and jumped. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he turned to shout at Uta, but hesitated to speak when he saw the taller male ghoul.

"D-do you need something? I don't have any money, if you're begging."

His mouth twisted into a frown and Uta tilted his head. "You think I'm a beggar?"

"Look, I don't know what this is, but…but I'm losing sight of my girlfriend and I need to catch up with her so-!"

"Your girlfriend is up ahead? I'm sorry…I'm slowing you down. I'll help you catch up to her." He offered a smile, but there was no real benevolence. Walking faster, he kept his grip on the boy's arm.

"Wait! N-no, it's okay! I can walk on my own!"

They reached the corner and Uta pointed at Miyu with his free hand. She was already halfway to the next corner; still oblivious to her stalker's presence. " _Her_ …right?"

The boy began to visibly become distressed as he realized that Uta was not just some random stranger accosting him on the sidewalk. His eyes widened and he fidgeted with the hem of his sleeve. "You're…you're _him_?! The guy she's been dating for the past ten years?"

 _Ten years? It's really been that long? It doesn't seem that long until someone else says it._ A real smile took form on his face now. _It's been ten years since Miyu and I became friends._ He stared after the young woman for a moment, feeling the boy struggle to try to break free. His grip faltered when he saw a familiar pale-haired ghoul approach Miyu. The boy slipped from his hold and sprinted off in the opposite direction.

Uta stood still, watching the interaction between the two other ghouls. It was clear that Miyu was surprised to see Renji. She hugged him and pulled away with a look of relief on her face. He saw the way that Renji frowned and could only guess that she had just told him about the stalker. She would walk home with him now so at least Uta knew that she was safe. He turned to look in the other direction and saw that the boy was pushing past other pedestrians in his hurry to escape. _Where are you going?_

 **Shift P.O.V**

When she hugged him, she could no longer smell blood. Miyu felt relief wash over her. "You didn't say that you were coming…and Uta isn't answering his phone."

Renji frowned in response. "That…doesn't sound right."

"Should we check on him?" The young woman was eager to get home and be out of plain sight, but now she was worried about her friend. It was very out of character for him to ignore a message from her. He would usually reply, even if just with a one-word response.

The pale-haired ghoul seemed to stare off into the distance for a moment, looking back the way that Miyu had come from. "…no…"

"Are you sure?"

Turning back to her, his frown deepened. "Uta slept on the couch last night." She bit her lower lip and nodded. "Why?"

"A…customer at Anteiku…has been stalking me," she quietly answered. "I didn't get the chance to tell you before. I-I didn't even notice until Irimi pointed it out. I went to Helter Skelter last night and…he walked me home." She paused, fidgeting with the strap of her purse. "He…offered to walk me to Anteiku this morning…but that was the last time I saw him."

Renji reached down for her hand, but his frown remained in place. "We're going home."

She bowed her head, loose strands of hair falling forward as she tried to hide her smile. The warmth of his hand holding hers was reassuring and she felt much safer than before. "When we get home…we need to talk. Please."

He nodded his agreement. "I'm walking you to Anteiku tomorrow. And walking you home." From the corner of his eye, he saw her nod once.

As soon as they were back in the apartment, Miyu settled on the couch with a block of wood and some carving tools. She put down a tray to catch the wooden shavings and began working on Uta's request as she gave Renji a description of her stalker. When she finished, she leaned back from her work a little and chewed at her thumbnail. _Is a tarantula alright? A…pink tarantula? But I'd have to paint it…_

Her eyes lifted from the little wooden carving to meet his. Renji was standing in the bedroom doorway, watching her in silence. "Where were you last night?" She was hesitant to ask, but it had been eating away at her since morning. "Your shirt…you smelled like human blood…but you didn't collect corpses. You would have told me…right?"

His frown deepened and he looked away. "I…can't tell you."

"…that isn't fair…" The young woman looked back to her project, carving deeper and faster. "Renji…" She leaned forward over her work, feeling conflicted. She was frustrated, but more than that she was disappointed. _We've been together for so long. Why can't he just tell me?_ Her eyes widened when she felt his embrace from behind. "Renji?"

"I can't tell you yet. I'm sorry."


	34. Chapter 33

"You're making this way harder than it needs to be." Itori saw the other woman slouch in her seat and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"If it could be easier…don't you think I'd want that?" Miyu shook her head and set the tarantula figure on the bar. It was immediately taken by the other ghoul so she could examine it. "…so there's an easier way…?"

She leaned forward over the counter, a playful half-grin taking form that matched the delight in her eyes. "You really didn't consider just getting him drunk and asking? You know Ren-chan is a _lightweight_. Trust me, if you want to get information from him, you have to get him drunk."

A bottle was set on the bar between them and Miyu looked to the label. Ferment blood. She lifted her gaze to Itori again and thought the other woman might explode from the bubbling excitement. "You're sure?"

"However!" She gripped the neck of the bottle in one hand, setting the tarantula figure down in front of Miyu again. "I won't let you have it for free, you know. A bottle this nice is hard to come by. I was just lucky enough to get it as a gift from an informant. You have any good gossip?"

Leaning back a bit, she struggled to think of anything that she could offer. True, working at Anteiku meant that she was able to hear a lot of gossip. None of it was really something that Itori would be interested in though. It was usually talk of hunting grounds changes, family issues, or CCG sightings. Anything of interest, she was sure that Itori already knew.

"I…read that sheer fabrics are popular right now," she started. Miyu was speaking without really thinking, but happened to notice the details of Itori's dress that day. "Sheer sleeves…sheer collars and detailing…they're really popular. But the dress you have on today is _stylish_ with a touch of… _elegance_ …because of the neckline and the figure it cuts."

By some miracle, this actually seemed to work. Itori beamed and pushed the bottle of blood wine toward her. "You're too sweet, Kuro-chan! You know me pretty well, don't you?"

Taking the bottle by the neck, Miyu had to smile. "We've been friends for a long time so…"

"Did you need me to walk you home tonight? That stalker's still out there, right?" She glanced toward the door and then back to Miyu. "I heard about him freaking out earlier this week."

The idea of actually getting an explanation from Renji had brightened her mood, but now she frowned again. Running a fingertip over the edge of the label, she released a frustrated sigh. "That guy…I keep seeing him around. He still comes into Anteiku, but he hasn't spoken to me. He just…stares. I've seen him behind me on the street…and Touka pointed him out when we were walking to pick up more coffee beans for the café. I…hate this guy and I don't even really know him."

"So what do you do when Ren-chan isn't around?"

"Koma walks me home when Renji can't…and I just stay home if Renji can't walk with me to run errands." Her frown deepened as she stole a glance up at Itori. "Has…Uta said anything about being mad at me?"

The question clearly puzzled the other ghoul and she shook her head. "No. I haven't really heard from him recently."

 _She doesn't need to know. He's probably just busy._ Miyu thanked her for the fermented blood and stepped outside to head back home. She paused on the sidewalk when she spotted a familiar figure across the street. _No. No way._

The young woman hesitated to turn away. She wanted to run. She wanted to scream for Itori. Instead, she shook her head and pulled her phone from her pocket. She typed a message with trembling hands and glanced up, meeting her stalker's gaze. _I can do this. I can walk home by myself. Koma won't get here fast enough and if I go back inside, Itori will laugh. She just thinks this is funny._

 **Shift P.O.V**

He felt guilty about not telling Miyu. He hated to keep secrets from her. When he remembered the disappointment in her voice, the sadness in her eyes, it made him feel weak. This was another night that he would come home smelling like blood, but it could not be helped. It was more complicated than he had expected.

Every night, the task was more complicated than it should have been. Obstacles arose. Doves would appear or other ghouls would get in the way. It should have been easy. He should have succeeded by now. It only added to his feeling of powerlessness.

She had said that she was going to Helter Skelter that night after work so he knew where to find her at least. Renji was thankful for the other ghouls at Anteiku for helping her while he was gone. Her stalker was still bothering her, but not as aggressively as before. He had heard about him shouting at her in front of Irimi and it made his blood boil.

He was getting close to the bar when he spotted Uta. It was unusual to see him just out wandering, but this seemed to be what he was doing. When the pale-haired ghoul approached him, he had a somewhat troubled expression on his face. _What is he looking at?_ Renji followed his line of sight and immediately charged forward.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu walked at a brisk pace, head bowed to try to hide her fearful expression. He was following her. His eyes were locked on her intensely and she felt goose bumps raise on her arms beneath her sleeves. She had her phone out, typing a message to Irimi to tell her what was happening and bracing herself for if she had to call for help.

A hand grabbed her shoulder roughly and spun her around to face him. The young man glared down at her from behind his glasses, his hands holding her shoulders in a bruising grip. "I _tried_ being nice! I _tried_ being polite to you! I met your "boyfriend", you know. You deserve better than that thug! I can make you so much happier than he ever could!"

She stared back at him, alarmed by his abrupt outburst. It was as if he had been out on the sidewalk for hours, seething. Or letting the rejection eat away at him over the past week since she last spoke to him. "I…I love him! You don't even really know me! How can you think that…I'd just pick a stranger over him?!"

"Listen to me! I'm the one for you! I'll treat you like a princess! I'm better for you than that he is! Just give me a chance!"

"I said "no"!" Miyu planted her hands on his chest and managed to shove him away. The urge to use her kagune was strong, but she stopped herself. She glared back at him now and took a step away from him. "Just leave me alone! I'm happy with him and there's no way that I'd ever leave him for you anyway! You're creepy!"

"I'm creepy?!" A muscle in his cheek twitched and his kakugan activated. The dark brown eyes were replaced by red and black as he took a step toward her. "Fine! I'll show you! I'll make you _need_ me…even if I have to take a bite out of you!"

As he darted forward, she prepared to release her kagune. Four rips in the back of her shirt and jacket exposed her skin to the chill night air. The bright red appendages were just starting to poke out when a hand gripped the back of her jacket. Miyu was brought against someone's chest, facing away from the stalker with an arm around her waist, and she heard a loud thud. A grunt of pain and sobbing indicated that the creep had been injured.

Her kagune receded and she gripped the front of Renji's coat with both hands, trying hard not to let her fear show. When she did look over her shoulder, she saw the younger ghoul sprawled on his back on the street. Her eyes darted back to Renji's and she threw her arms around him. "Why…why were you gone tonight?!"

He held her for a moment, watching the boy struggle to try to push himself up. The younger ghoul's glasses were broken by Renji's punch and he was clearly stunned from the impact. "Miyu, wait here."

"Don't…don't do that. I just want to go home. Please."

His eyes narrowed on the boy and he turned his attention back to the young woman in front of him. Lifting a hand, he let his fingers trail over her long, chestnut hair. "Let's go," he agreed. Renji held her hand, fully aware of how she trembled and wanting to get her home so she would feel safe.

Miyu immediately set about making coffee, her hands shaking from the encounter. _That guy was going to try to take a bite out of me! What would have happened if Renji wasn't there?!_ She carried the cups to the coffee table and was going to sit down, but a gentle grip on her wrist made her stop.

The expression that he wore was soft and it was obvious that he wanted to comfort her. He led her into their room and the two settled onto the bed. His arms wrapped around her, holding her back against his chest, and waited a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry that I haven't been here," he started.

She sniffed, smelling blood. Ghoul blood. Miyu had wanted to try to get him to explain his recent absences that night, but the evening had taken a bad turn. It was not a good night for her to ask. Instead, she bit at her thumbnail and prepared herself for a much simpler question. "…are you bleeding…?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Who the hell was that guy?! Damn it…that bitch! She thinks that she can lead me on and then turn me down? She thinks her friends can protect her? I'll show her! I'll show her what happens when you lead someone on!" The boy struggled to stand, his glasses cracked and the frames obviously broken. He spat blood and turned to follow Miyu, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the tall, dark-haired ghoul that blocked his path. "You!"

Uta tilted his head, examining the boy. "Renji held back."

"You…thug! You've been following me, haven't you?! She told you to, didn't she? Listen to me! She's just playing with you! She's a heartless bitch and she doesn't care about leading people on! She's-!"

"That's not very nice." He stalked forward, watching the boy take a few steps back. The younger ghoul's confidence was rapidly decreasing as Uta got closer. "…are you afraid…?"

"I-I'm pissed off! I'm not going to let her get away with-!" Blood flew from his mouth and he whimpered in pain. A hand weakly grabbed for Uta's arm in a pitiful attempt to remove the limb that was now lodged deep into his chest. When he failed, he looked to the man with watery eyes. His blood was running down his chin and neck from the corner of his mouth.

Uta leaned down to his ear, pushing his arm in a little deeper. "I can't let you hurt Miyu. I don't like the way that you talked about her…and you keep bothering her. You didn't give me a choice."


	35. Chapter 34

NeonHorizon: Please bear with me on this one. I wrote this chapter extremely early in the morning and the "T" key on my laptop is sticking. I tried to catch all of the missing t's and correct them while I was editing. I'll read through this chapter again later and make necessary adjustments. Also...I kind of really love both Yomo and Uta so...you'll see a lot of both. Hey, look, it's Uta starting off the chapter.

* * *

"You just missed Kuro-chan. Where have you been anyway? You haven't been answering your phone." Itori initially greeted him with a smile, coming around the bar to approach him. Her smile faltered, steps slowing as her eyes drifted to the dark red substance dripping from his fingertips. "U-chan, why is there blood all over your hands?"

He knew that if she would be able to smell it soon. The blood was not just on his hands; it was all over the front of his jacket and pants. A few drops had even managed to soak through to his shirt. Ghoul blood. "I saw Miyu and Renji."

Itori quirked an eyebrow at the odd reply. "Whose blood is that?"

Uta tilted his head, staring back at her for a long moment. "I need to wash this off." He washed the blood from his hands in the bathroom sink and caught sight of his reflection. There were a few drops on his neck and he carefully wiped them away, a frown pulling at his lips. _Renji ruined it._

He had wanted to see Miyu fight again. It was so close. Her kagune was just starting to come out when Renji interfered. Uta felt robbed of his satisfaction. He was glad that nothing bad had happened to Miyu, but he had wanted to see her defend herself.

When he returned to the bar, he tried not to think about the blood on his clothes and sat at the counter beside Itori. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ignore everyone," he started, his tone soft.

"It's fine. It happens. You know, I think Kuro-chan was really worried about you. Might want to give her a call or something."

He wanted to, but he hesitated. "She's with Renji now."

Itori pretended to pout. "You still like her. You've liked her since we were teenagers. Why'd you stop trying? It's not like they're married." She sighed and poured a drink for them both, hoping that the human blood might help her forget about the ghoul blood still splattered all over her friend's clothes.

"I know..." Uta absently tilted his cup a little, watching the crimson beverage coat the glass. "I want to spend more time with her, but we're both busy."

The female ghoul rolled her eyes. "Okay, so just make time! You like her, she still likes you. Don't give me that look. You _know_ that she still likes you, U-chan. You can't waste time like when we were kids, okay? Hideaki disappeared and you waited like three months to talk to her! You could've swooped in right away, but you wasted time!"

"Things kept coming up." Hearing the name "Hideaki" triggered his memory of their fight. Of the man's death and the subsequent burial almost a month later performed by himself and Renji. "I'll try harder," he finally stated.

"Can we talk about why you're covered in blood? I keep trying to ignore it, but it's kinda hard to stop thinking about."

His frown was now gone; replaced with a small smile. "Miyu doesn't have a stalker anymore."

Itori raised an eyebrow and then her eyes went wide. "You did it?"

"I wanted to see her take care of him herself, but…she's so shy." His smile grew as he remembered the sight of her kagune beginning to tear through the back of her jacket. Uta's moment of blissful reminiscing was broken when he remembered what the creep had said to him about Miyu. "He deserved what I did."

She snickered and lifted her glass to take a sip. "How bad was it?"

He shook his head, not about to divulge the details. The corpse was unrecognizable. "He was going to hurt her."

"You think that about every guy."

"Itori…you don't know. He said rude things about her and I know that he would have hurt her," he argued.

"So. You said that you saw her and Ren-chan, right?" She saw him nod. "You know he's been busy. You could've seized the opportunity to get close with her again. Besides, they're not doing great right now. He won't tell her what he's been doing at night and I think she's getting frustrated with him."

Uta looked down at the counter and noticed a few wooden shavings, leftover from when Miyu had been working on a project. Running a fingertip through the remnants, he frowned. "You don't know what it is?"

"No idea! It's pretty irritating that none of my informants can tell me what Ren-chan's been doing! I gave her some fermented blood tonight so hopefully she can get some information out of him. You know how he gets when he drinks." She smiled a bit wickedly. "I wish I could be there for the interrogation."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu glanced toward the door, hoping that he would appear. Hoping that he would come to check on her. After all, her stalker was still out there. Renji had injured him, but they left before anything more could happen. _He's running an errand. He'll be back by the time my shift ends, right?_

She was preoccupied with her thoughts, as well as wiping a coffee cup, so she failed to notice the ghoul walk in. It was a rather slow time of day anyway so Miyu was not expecting anyone to show up. Her attention was drawn to the man across the counter when she felt fingers gently running along a loose strand of her hair. The woman jolted, half-expecting to find her stalker, but instead found a familiar face that filled her with relief. "G-good morning," she managed to stammer. "Sorry…um…I wasn't expecting anyone."

"I wanted to surprise you," Uta replied. He tilted his head and leaned forward a little. "Are you okay?"

"Her stalker tried to grab her last night," Koma answered. He was just returning from a table with some empty coffee cups. "Hey, can you walk her home tonight, Uta? I think Yomo's going to be out late again." He caught the frown that Miyu flashed him and shrugged. "He's been late every day for the past week, right? And you'd probably rather have Uta walk you home instead of me."

When Uta looked from the other ghoul back to her, Miyu quickly shifted her gaze away from his. "I…I don't want to bother you," she started. "You're probably busy today so-"

"I'm not doing anything. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"If you don't mind…" She saw him nod and allowed herself a half-smile. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." Her mood brightened as she remembered something. "So…your shop is closed today? You said that you weren't busy…"

His expression was a little hard to identify. It was a blend of happy, but also sheepish. "I'm not busy. I was going to wait for your shift to end."

"Could you…run an errand for me?" Miyu saw him subtly raise an eyebrow. "I need some things from the art supply store. If you could pick it up for me…and I'll give you a little extra for your time."

Uta accepted the money from her, but frowned. "You don't have to give me extra money."

"But you're doing this for me…and I won't feel right if I don't…" The woman felt a faint warmth rise to her cheeks as he stood and leaned closer, a hand reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. His fingertips brushed over her delicate skin and she suddenly found herself remembering how they had been years ago. Her eyes half-closed and she directed her gaze anywhere but his face. Even with the sunglasses on, she could feel his eyes on her. "Um…s-so…the money…"

"We're friends. I don't want you to do that." He tucked the money into his pocket and accepted the list of supplies from her.

When he was gone, she found herself staring after him and began to frown. Ten years had passed, but she could never forget how close they had become after her brother left the fourth ward. They had something between them that bonded them forever. Something that she did not have with Renji.

"Miyu, what's up? You've been staring for ten minutes," Koma finally spoke up. "Are you worried about that stalker?"

She shook her head, finally looking away from the door. "No. It's not that." She caught the expectant look he gave her and turned away to continue wiping the coffee cup. "I don't want to talk about it."

When her shift ended, Miyu changed into her casual clothes and left the café with Uta. She checked her phone for messages from Renji, but there were no new messages. _He apologized last night, but now he's gone again. Irimi and Koma don't know where he's going. Even Itori doesn't know. Whatever he's doing, it's dangerous. He keeps coming home with blood on him._

The female ghoul clipped her hair back away from her face when she got home and settled on the couch with the art supplies and her tarantula carving. She felt the cushion beside hers dip as Uta took the seat beside her and instantly felt herself start to blush. Her teeth gritted as she began to work, very aware of how close he was.

The wooden figure just needed paint now and she decided to attempt to use a dry brush technique on the top coat to simulate texture. It was something that she had only done a few times, but she wanted the figure to be absolutely perfect. _I owe him a good art piece. He went out of his way to help me today._

Uta watched her curiously, admiring the way her every brush stroke seemed so calculated and delicate. "Pink spider?" He saw her lips curl into a shy sort of smile and drew closer. "It looks really good."

"Thank you…I wasn't sure what kind of spider you wanted…so I just went with a tarantula because they're kind of popular…and…" Miyu felt a hand on her knee and glanced over. _When did he get so close?_ His face was close enough to hers that it made her heart start to hammer in her chest. "R-right, so…pink because…"

"It reminds me of you," he commented. "It's cute."

Her stomach began to do flips and she bowed her head. "Ah…w-well I don't know about that…" Miyu lifted the figure in her hand and turned it to examine the top coat of neon pink paint. _It's pretty much done. It looks pretty good though._ She set it down on the coffee table to dry and saw that her fingers were smudged with pink paint. "Um…I'll be back. I have to wash this off…"

"Miyu, wait." Uta's hand closed around her wrist and the man's red and black eyes met her dark grey ones. He could clearly see the blush that heated her face and it urged him on to his next words. "Do you…still like me?"

"W-we haven't really…been like that…since I left the fourth ward so…I-I can' really…um…I-I mean…I like you, but…" When he lifted her hand to his cheek, she felt her heart beating painfully fast. She let him pull her against his chest, closing her eyes and feeling her fingers trail down his cheek.

He ignored the bright pink paint left on his skin and smiled as he held her. "You missed me, didn't you? I forgot how nice it feels to hold you…"

Miyu hugged back, but she trembled. "Uta…"


	36. Chapter 35

NeonHorizon: I love writing parts with drunk Yomo. If you haven't read the manga, you're missing out. The omake in volume 12 is just lovely!

* * *

Miyu separated herself from Uta; going to the kitchen area and standing with her back to the other room. Her heart was still racing and she found herself struggling to calm down. It had not progressed past a simple hug, but she felt a fluttery sort of feeling in her chest and stomach. It instantly reminded her of when she was a teenager in the fourth ward, when she first began to get close with him. _It's…like that ignited something._ Shaking her head, she looked over her shoulder.

He was still on the couch, but now he was frowning. Uta leaned down, looking closely at the spider figure. There were three neon pink lines trailing down his cheek to his jaw, marking where she had touched his face. The man seemed to feel her stare because he glanced over and caught a brief glimpse of her flushed face before she looked away again.

She managed to calm down after a few minutes and was about to return to the other room when she heard the apartment door open. Miyu bit her lower lip, trying to determine her next move. _Renji came home earlier than I was expecting. I want to ask him about what he's been doing, but how do I do this? Itori was right; it would be better to ask him after he's had a drink._

Realizing that there was no simple way of doing this, she decided to just pour three glasses and carry them out to the other room. At the back of her mind, she had to remind herself not to drink very much. She had only been drunk on fermented blood a few times, but the amount of amusement that Itori got from those incidents was enough to make her cautious.

Renji was standing near the couch, obviously wondering why Uta was there. The dark-haired ghoul was looking at the pink spider sculpture again, a faint smile on his face. When Renji saw Miyu approach with the glass of blood, he accepted it without question. "Thanks."

"Where did you go today?" Uta accepted a glass as well, but simply set it down on the coffee table in front of him. "We missed you, Renji."

"Uta…walked me home from Anteiku," Miyu began to explain. "And I was finished with his request so…"

His eyes went to the bright, almost fluorescent spider carving and his expression softened. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there."

Miyu watched as he lifted the glass, drinking without seeming to even notice that it was fermented blood. She gave hers a tentative sip as well, feeling her anxiety grow. The man's glass was soon empty and he settled on the couch beside Uta, letting his head rest back against the cushions. "Renji…?"

"Renji?" Uta looked at him for a moment, anticipating a response and getting nothing. He reached over, brushing some hair away from the other ghoul's face, and saw his eyes open. "You okay?"

 _I forgot how low his tolerance is._ Miyu approached the couch, her lips twisting into a concerned frown. _He looks pretty tired. This was a mistake._ She turned to go to the kitchen, intending to see if coffee would help, but was stopped by an arm going around her waist. Her eyes widened as she felt herself being pulled down onto his lap, her face turning red when he nuzzled the side of her neck. "R-Renji? Are you…?"

"I'm sorry that I haven't been here for you. You mean so much to me, Miyu. I hate leaving you alone." Both arms were wrapped around her now, more or less pinning her back against his chest. His lips moved along the female ghoul's neck, a hand lifting to tug aside her shirt collar to expose more skin. "Why don't we sit like this more often? We're both always so busy; we need to make time for stuff like this, Miyu."

"Renji…um…y-you feel okay, right?" she inquired. The feeling of his warm lips against her skin sent waves of pleasure through her and it took all of her control to not react. Despite this, her face was still heating from pink to red.

"I'm fine. You're always so considerate, Miyu. That's one of the things that I love about you."

"I always forget how talkative he gets," Uta remarked. "It's…kind of cute."

"Uta, I'm glad that you walked her home. Thank you for always keeping Miyu safe." Renji's attention seemed to have drifted, but he kept a secure hold on the woman. "I know that you're always looking out for her."

"…Renji…" Miyu felt her pulse speeding up a little, her embarrassment growing with each word. She struggled to lean forward, trying to put her glass down before he caused her to spill.

"You're not going to finish yours?"

This question made her instantly nervous. Fearing that he might attempt to finish her glass for her and inevitably pass out before she could get any answers out of him, Miyu proceeded to gulp down the thick fermented blood. "Ngh…" She hiccupped, frowned, and bowed her head. The glass fell to the floor, blood droplets sprinkling the dark rug and barely visible. "Renji, you're warm."

At this point, Uta was taking a small sip of his own drink. He knew from experience that Miyu could hold her drinks better than Renji, but not by a lot. Unlike Renji, she did not get more talkative when drunk; she got more affectionate. "Renji, where were you today?"

The pale-haired ghoul hugged Miyu tighter and frowned against the side of her neck. "I had to do something for Miyu. I keep missing my chance and having to try again so I've been gone a lot. She keeps moving. It's really frustrating. I want to get it done, but she won't stay in one place."

Thankfully, the female ghoul was still sober enough to kind of understand what he was saying. "Who keeps moving? Where do you keep going…?" She tensed, feeling his lips skim along her neck up to the back of her left ear. "Mmmn…"

"I'm trying to find a girl."

"Why are you looking for a girl?" This question came from Uta as he leaned over toward them. He reached out with pink paint-smudged fingers and pushed Renji's pale hair away from his eyes again. "What girl is it? Do you want me to help you find her?"

"Do you want to help me?" He lifted his face from Miyu's skin, meeting Uta's red and black curious stare. "I don't want to bother you. I know you're busy. I didn't want to bother anyone; I wanted to do this myself. It's harder than I thought it would be. If you want to help me…Uta, that's so kind of you…"

"So…who are you looking for? I'll help, too," Miyu offered. "It's a girl? Um…what does she look like? Do you know her name?" As she spoke, she could feel her heart sinking a little with dread. _He's looking for a girl. I know it isn't his sister because…she died. So why is he looking for a girl? Is it someone else that he knows? Or is this for Yoshimura-san?_

Renji was quiet for a moment, seeming contemplative until he spoke again. "She's around ten and has black hair and dark grey eyes. Her name is Kurotani Akiko and she was supposed to be in the eleventh ward, but when I went to find her, she was gone. Every time I hear that she's in an area, I go there and she's already gone again."

Miyu's eyes widened. "K-Kurotani…Akiko? And she's ten?"

"She's Hideaki-san's daughter. Her mother was killed by doves around six months ago and I didn't find out until earlier this month. She's been seen with a dangerous group so I keep trying to get to her so I can save her, but I keep running into problems before I can reach her and she's always gone by the time I get to where she was."

"Aki's daughter?" Uta leaned in closer, intrigued. "She's missing? And Himeko-chan died?"

"But…what about Aki-nii?" The woman tensed, anticipating Renji breaking terrible news to her. Instead, she felt his body go limp as sleep set in. She gave Uta a pleading look and he helped her move Renji into the bedroom he shared with Miyu. _Where's my brother? Was he in the eleventh ward this whole time? And I didn't know that he had a daughter._

An anxious twisting feeling in her gut made the woman frown as she watched Uta draw a blanket over their friend's sleeping form. She turned away, deciding to wash the glasses and offer the remaining fermented blood to Uta. She was drying the glasses when she heard the bedroom door close and footsteps approached her back. Miyu lifted her gaze briefly before focusing on the glass in her hand.

"He's cute when he's talkative," Uta commented. He came to stand at her side, watching her face for her reaction. "Do you think it's true? About Aki's daughter and Himeko-chan?"

Her throat burned a little, eyes tearing up. "I…hope it's just a rumor. Why would Aki-nii leave them…? If it's true…then that means…my brother is probably dead. I know him. He loved Himeko-chan so much…and when he found out that he was going to be a father…"

"Aki was really protective…so I think you're right."

When Uta left, Miyu went into the bedroom and curled up beneath the blanket. Renji immediately turned over, half-awake, and wrapped his arms around her. The female ghoul's face was buried in his chest, his scent comforting and his body heat reassuring.

She closed her eyes, clinging to the front of his shirt and pressing her body as close to his as possible. "Renji…?"

He nuzzled into her hair, holding her tightly now as consciousness returned. "I'm…sorry. I haven't been here for you and Uta had to keep you safe for me," he murmured, still intoxicated. "I don't like leaving you alone. I know that you don't like it. I wanted to find your niece. She's your only family left…like Touka and Ayato are to me…"

Miyu felt a tightness in her chest when he said his. She knew about his connection to the two younger ghouls and she knew that he was currently keeping it a secret from them. This was only part of her sadness though. The other part came with the realization that he was assuming the worst. Renji was assuming that her older brother really was dead.

"Do you…think that…Aki-nii was killed, too? Or do you think that he escaped…and we'll just…we'll protect my niece until he comes back for her?" The woman's voice shook, unable to hide the dread from creeping into her words. The thought of her brother being dead was bad, but not quite as bad as the thought of him running away and abandoning his own child.

No answer was offered. Instead, he seemed to relax a bit more and sleep crept in once more. "I…love you, Miyu…"


	37. Chapter 36

NeonHorizon: I put a tentative posting schedule on my profile in case you want to know what days I update. Um...so...this chapter is...yeah...

* * *

 _Aki's daughter._ Uta frowned, leaning his head back against the wall as he considered everything that had been said the previous night. Morning found him alone, which was normal. He did not care for the guilt that was taking form. Ten years had passed and he thought about the older ghoul every so often, but never to this degree. He felt bad, but only for Miyu; he had never really cared for Hideaki.

Uta had not thought about Himeko or Hideaki's child. After the man's accidental death during their fight, his first priority was hiding the body and his second priority was to keep it a secret from Miyu. He ran his fingers through the longer hair on the right side of his head, coming to a realization.

 _If Renji finds her…she might tell Miyu what happened._ Of course, the child would have no way of knowing for sure that Uta had killed Hideaki, but Himeko definitely would have mentioned that the man had gone to the fourth ward and never returned. From there, the truth was easy enough to guess.

He reached for his phone, still a little groggy from sleep, and scrolled to Itori's number. "Hey…I need help with something."

"What's up? You know how early it is?"

"I need information…" Uta hesitated, a little anxious yet also excited about what had to be done. "Itori…I need information on a little girl named Kurotani Akiko. Renji told me that he's looking for her. I need to find her first."

"Kurotani Akiko…? Wait a second! _Kurotani_?!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu woke up alone in bed, a feeling of emptiness setting in almost immediately. She stared up at the ceiling and slowly dragged Renji's pillow over to her. Hugging it to her chest, she frowned _. If he remembers last night, he's going to be upset. I can't blame him though. I…got him drunk so I could get information from him._ Burying her face in the pillow, she released a sigh.

She had the day off, but she was in no hurry to leave the warm comfort of the bed. If Renji was gone, she had no reason to rush. Nonetheless, she sat up and gave the pillow a tight squeeze. _I need to do something. I shouldn't spend my day off like this…_

When she left the bedroom, she was surprised to find that the pale-haired ghoul was still there. He was sitting on the couch and did not look over when she opened the bedroom door. Miyu frowned to herself and ran her fingers through her hair, not about to bother him. She could smell coffee in the kitchen and her stomach growled softly in response.

A cup was already waiting for her on the counter, still faintly steaming. She lifted it to her lips and took a small sip. _I'll work on some stamps today. That should…_ Miyu's eyes widened a little as she felt arms wrap around her from behind. The warmth of his chest against her back made her cheeks flush pink and her heart began to race. "R…Renji…?" Heat spread through her as she felt the tip of his nose trace along the side of her neck. One hand slid up along her side, fingers gently gripping her chin and tipping her head back.

"I'm going to make it up to you…for being gone so much," he murmured. His lips skimmed over her sensitive skin and he felt her tense in his hold. The man's hips pressed against her bottom, pinning her firmly against the counter. "Can you forgive me…?"

She bit her bottom lip as she felt his hips grind forward. "Wh-what do you…have in mind to make it up to me?" Her voice was just above a whisper, but still quivered with desire. _It's been a while since we did something like this._

"We're going to have a good morning. I promise. And…then I'll tell you why I've been gone." He loosened his grip on her chin, letting his fingers slowly trail along her neck. Caressing the female ghoul's soft skin, he dotted the right side of her neck with gentle kisses. He could feel her bottom press back against him and groaned softly.

Miyu's heart began to beat even faster as she found herself being pulled away from the counter and spun to face him. Her lips met his in a hard kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Strong hands went to the back of her thighs, lifting her off of the ground and letting her wrap her legs around his waist. Her back slammed against the wall as she felt his hips grind into hers, drawing a moan from her only to be muffled against his lips.

The pale-haired ghoul managed to maneuver his way back to their room and dropped her onto the bed. His fingers dipped into the waist of her pants, making quick work of pulling them off of her and then working to pull her shirt off. Her hands threaded into his hair as she kissed him again, lifting her hips to help him when he moved to finish undressing her. When the kiss broke, she lunged toward him to run her hands up his chest, pushing his shirt up with urgency.

The next few minutes passed quickly as he discarded his clothes and joined her on the bed. Renji lifted a hand to caress her cheek as his mouth met hers once more. As he pulled away, he had a moment of conflict. He frowned, looking from her to the wall as he tried to settle on what to do.

"R-Renji…?" For a moment, she was worried that she had done something wrong. _Did he change his mind? Does he not want to do this now?_ Just as she felt tears begin to form at the corners of her eyes, she felt his hands firmly grip her hips. She was moved and soon found him settling against the pillows with his back to the wall. Realizing what he had in mind, she straddled his hips and bit her lip again as she felt him brush against her opening.

His actions in the kitchen had been enough to excite her and Miyu blushed as she realized how wet she had become. The head of his member spread the slickness along her lower lips, pausing at the top of her slit to tease her. The female ghoul's hands went to his shoulders, nails digging in ever so slightly as she tried to hold off any loud sounds of pleasure from escaping her.

Renji's hands found her hips, holding Miyu in place for a moment. He leaned up, his lips brushing over her neck as he continued to prepare her. Any time that they did something like this, he was always very careful. He never wanted it to hurt her so he would make sure that she was wet enough so any pain was minimal. Now that he was satisfied that she was ready, he tightened his hold on her hips and lowered her onto him.

Miyu's eyes closed as she felt him ease into her. The slickness of her inner walls allowed him to push all the way in, burying himself in her heat. She bit her bottom lip harder, the blush on her face turning from pink to red as she heard him groan in pleasure. The woman leaned down, her long, chestnut brown hair tickling his shoulder and chest as she brought her face to the side of his neck.

They both remained still as her muscles adjusted to him. His warm breath skimmed over her shoulder as he strained to hold still. When he felt her loosen a little, he started to move. The firm grip on her hips allowed him to lift her a bit so he could have better control. Thrusting up into her again, he finally drew a quiet moan from her.

She clung to him, her chest bouncing against his with each thrust into her. Miyu's eyes opened wide as she felt the stimulation of his cock stroking at her inner walls, coated in her essence and forming a ball of pressure in her core. The ghoul panted, burying her face in his shoulder as she tried to move so she could meet his thrusts.

When she felt a hand thread into her hair, she released a soft gasp. Her face was pulled away from his shoulder and her eyes met his briefly before her lips were brought down to his. She moved her hips to try to keep the friction going, the kiss urging her on.

His fingertips tenderly trailed through the woman's hair and he groaned into the kiss as he felt her ride him. Miyu's pace was slow, careful. This was the problem with them having similar personalities; they were both so afraid of hurting each other. Renji knew that he had to make a move and take control again if they wanted things to escalate.

Miyu was lifted off of him and was about to question him, but soon found herself falling onto her back on the bed. Before she could say anything, she felt his arms beneath her legs, lifting her lower half. He was on his knees between her legs now and his eyes were focused on Miyu's. When he plunged into her, she threw her head back with a sharp moan and he saw her writhe beneath him.

Her lips parted as she started to pant, unable to hide her blush from Renji anymore. He let her legs limply wrap around him and his right hand caressed her cheek. His left hand slid along her side, building up her anticipation until he palmed her breast. Her back arched, a whimper leaving her as she tried to thrust her hips up to meet his.

In response, he began to rock into her at a steady pace and let his fingertips massage her chest. He was watching her face for any signs of discomfort and when he was satisfied that everything was fine, he started to go faster. Thrusting into her core, he reveled in the way that warmth engulfed his length. Each pump into her was met with a sound of pleasure; a small gasp, moan, or whimper. He loved to hear these sounds come from her, knowing they were only for his ears. He loved the way that her heat accepted him so readily, her body fitting so nicely against his. When his lips met hers to steal a kiss, he was met with her mouth heatedly moving against his own.

She felt his hand leave her cheek and plant solidly against the wall beside her head. Before she could question it, his hips began to hammer into hers at a much faster pace than before. Each time he plunged in, she could feel a particularly sensitive area inside of her being struck and the pressure in her core built. When she reached her release, it was with a soft moan of his name and her muscles convulsed around him.

The warm, slick grip of her walls coming down around him drove the man to his own edge. Pushing in as deep as he could, he let his release come and spilled into her. He pulled out with a groan and leaned back to take her into his arms, bringing her against his chest. "Miyu…"

She eagerly embraced him, nuzzling into the side of his neck. "Th…that was…a good start to the day." Her voice was a little rough from her vocalizations during their activities, but the happiness was definitely there.

Renji felt her warm, slender body against his and frowned. Holding her gently, but firmly, he closed his eyes. "I need to tell you…what I've been doing at night. I didn't want to say anything until I was sure, but…"

"You…don't remember anything from last night…do you?" Miyu pulled away to look up, wanting to see his face as she asked this.

"Uta was here…" His frown deepened. "Did something happen?"


	38. Chapter 37

Miyu frowned, listening to Itori talk about some rough customers that had been in the bar the previous day. Her mind was on other matters as she sipped from the glass of blood that had been set before her on the counter. _Renji went out again tonight. I don't like that he wouldn't let me go with him. Kurotani Akiko. She's my niece. I should be able to help him find her._

Itori sighed a bit dramatically and leaned forward on the bar, her chin resting in her hand. "What is it? You look bored, Kuro-chan."

"Ah. Sorry…it's nothing like that," she assured her friend. "I'm sorry. I'm just…a little distracted."

"So what's up? Are you still worried about your stalker?"

"No. I haven't seen him in over a week. He just…disappeared." It was odd. After the young man had confronted her on her way home from the bar, she never saw him again. It was as if he had abruptly lost interest after Renji appeared.

A sly sort of smile pulled at Itori's lips. "So is it somehow related to U-chan?" Spotting the faint, pink hue that rose to Miyu's cheeks, she leaned closer. "It _is_ , right?! So what is it?"

"It isn't…it isn't like that, okay? Not exactly." She had been reminded of the last time she saw him and it forced her to remember the way that he had held her.

"Awww! You never forget your first, Kuro-chan. There's no denying the weird chemistry you two have." She saw Miyu finish off her drink and poured her a fresh glass of blood. "There we go."

 _At least I know it's not fermented._ Miyu took a delicate sip, letting the rich flavor take her mind off of her problems for a moment. When she set the glass down again, she forced herself to meet Itori's gaze. "Kurotani Akiko."

"Your niece?"

"My niece. Renji…has been trying to find her. I guess her mother died and-"

"She got picked up by a group of some pretty rough younger ghouls. They're really just a bunch of teenage punks, kind of like we were." Itori paused to pour herself a glass of thicker blood that gave off a particular scent that indicated that it was fermented. "She's so young though."

"Do you know where-?" Miyu was cut off yet again, but this time by the arrival of Uta. She was interrupted by Itori greeting him and she tried to fight the blush that threatened to creep over her face. The ghoul heard him settle in the seat beside hers and looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"Where's Renji tonight?"

"He's out looking for Aki-chan again."

"Don't…call her that." Miyu bowed her head, trying to hide her anger. _It feels wrong to hear anyone else be called "Aki". Especially his daughter._

Uta frowned, leaning forward a little to try to see her face. "Miyu? Are you alright?" A hand rested on her back when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Miyu?"

The young woman put a hand over her glass when she saw Itori about to fill it again. "I'm sorry. I just…don't want to think about my brother. I know that he wouldn't just abandon Himeko-san and their daughter. The only reason for my niece living the way that she is…it could only be that Aki-nii was killed."

At this, the tattooed ghoul beside her seemed to tense. He tilted his head, his face revealing puzzlement and a hint of sadness. "If Aki died-"

"I'm…going to find her. I'll take care of Akiko until I know what happened to my brother and then I'll just figure things out from there," she determined. Lifting her gaze to Itori again, she tried to put on a firm look of resolve. "Where was she last seen? I know that you must know something about this."

The other woman rolled her eyes. "Fine. Ruin my night. There's a rumor about a group of teenagers that hang around a shopping area at night in the thirteenth ward. You know, maybe you should wait for Ren-chan. It's been a while since you were actually in a fight, Kuro-chan; it might be dangerous."

"Itori, that isn't nice. You remember how strong she is," Uta protested. He smiled and pushed his hair back away from his right eye. "I'll go with you, Miyu."

"I wish that I could go with you guys, but I'm waiting on an informant," Itori pouted.

The weather conditions were not ideal for tracking. Outside, the rain was falling in sheets and the sound of it against the pavement was almost overwhelming. Miyu did not look forward to possibly having to fight in these conditions, but knew that it may be unavoidable. A quick glance toward Uta showed that he seemed excited for their trip to the thirteenth ward.

 _I barely know what she looks like. All I have to go on are black hair and grey eyes. And that she's ten. Does her face look like Aki-nii's or like Himeko-san's?_ Miyu paused when they came to the edge of the ward and looked around. She knew that Renji was probably in the vicinity if he had intended to search for the child that night. It would be less than ideal for him to see her there, unless she was helping him fight. He had told her to just wait for him at the apartment.

"Are you worried about being seen?" The question came from Uta, in a soft sort of tone. He caught the look of concern on her face and displayed a sheepish smile. "Pink Spider?"

"…No Face…" Miyu could not stop the half-smile that pulled at her lips. "I might be…a little worried," she admitted. _I haven't had trouble with the CCG in a while, but if I'm seen fighting then I'll have to stay out of the café for a while. I didn't bring my old mask with me._

Uta reached into a coat pocket and drew forth a bundle of bright pink material. "I made you something…but I was waiting for the right time to give it to you. I thought that your mask could use an update."

She accepted the bundle and held it in her hands, looking it over. Wet locks of chestnut hair fell over her face as she examined the mask and when she lifted her gaze to Uta's, she saw the rather satisfied expression that he wore.

This mask reminded her of her old one, in a few ways. There was a definite insect-like quality to the design with a removable flap to cover the eyes and spider-like mouth. The eye flap was decorated with shimmery, painted eyes; quite a few of them. The big difference between this mask and her old one was the strange markings on it. The cheeks bore a black spiral on each one, like a strange sort of blush. The removable mouth flap bore a wide grin, with sharp teeth and red lips. The tip of the nose had a large black dot that reminded her of a clown's face paint.

"Th-thanks. This is…really well-made. I love it." The female ghoul tested the straps made to secure it in place and smiled. "It looks…different. But I guess it's an updated look. I'm not exactly the Pink Spider anymore. My hair isn't even pink now."

To her surprise, he leaned down and gently took a strand of her hair between his fingers. His face hovered a few inches above hers and his red and black eyes were fixed on the lock of hair. "You could change that."

"I…don't think that Yoshimura-san would want pink hair in his café."

The man tilted his head. "Didn't Itori offer you a job?"

"She did, but I just…I don't think that I could do what she does." Miyu secured the lowest buckle so that the mask hung loosely around her neck. "We should hurry; it's getting cold."

The shopping area was easy enough to find, but the conflict came when they spotted a sizeable group of younger ghouls. As Itori had said, most of them seemed to be in their mid to late teens. The exception were three rather short ghouls that hung near the back of the group.

"A group that big is going to draw attention," Uta commented. He narrowed his eyes in the rain, trying to make out the features of the smaller ghouls. "I don't know which one is Akiko. Two of them have black hair."

"We…need to get closer then. We need a plan."

 **Shift P.O.V**

They had not been spotted yet so it should be moderately easy to sneak up on the group. The two had ducked around a corner to maintain cover. Uta tried once more to determine which one of the smaller ghouls might be Miyu's niece, but it was extremely difficult in the rainy night. This was problematic.

He was determined to get to her before anyone else. Uta could not push away the possibility that she knew what happened to Hideaki. He had kept the older ghoul's death a secret from Miyu for ten years and he was not going to let the little girl put all of his efforts to waste. Between her and Renji, Uta was facing multiple threats to his relationship with Miyu.

 _Where's Renji?_ He subtly sniffed at the air, but his sense of smell was clouded by the scent of Miyu and the approaching group of teenagers. Seconds after this, his eyes widened as the female ghoul beside him broke into a sprint. "Miyu, wait a second…" Uta gripped her shoulder and turned her, pinning her against a wall. "Not yet."

Her face flushed pink at his close proximity and she frowned. "If we give them the chance to run-!"

"They won't get that chance." He pressed a finger over his lips as shouting erupted in the street and the two peered around the corner.

Chaos had broken out among the teenagers as they rushed to form a circle around the three youngest. All of them had their eyes trained on the figure in the dark coat and avian mask as he attempted to break through their defenses. Renji managed to get past, but missed his chance at grabbing for what was probably Akiko as another ghoul threw her onto their back and jumped away.

As Uta looked on, this teenager was joined by five more as they tried to move the youngest three to safety. A few that stayed behind were now hurling insults at Renji as they tried to fight him. "Let's go." Uta grabbed Miyu's cold, rain-speckled hand and began to lead her down the street.

"Where are we going? They're taking her-!"

"They're going to try to get higher because they'll think it's safer. Renji can handle the ones on the ground, but we need to get Akiko."

Miyu nodded and increased her pace. As she ran, she reached to her mask and tore the eye flap away. It was tucked into her pocket and she buckled the rest in place to conceal her identity. "Why are they…protecting the younger ones?" she wondered out loud. "You…you don't think that they plan to eat them, do you?"

"I don't know." He caught their scent again, down an alley, and pulled Miyu with him in their direction. Itori had scrounged up some information on the group of young ghouls for Uta when he first asked. Apparently the CCG had started calling Kurotani Akiko "Little Phoenix". He was excited to find out why.


	39. Chapter 38

Between the rain and the sudden increase of group members, it was hard to tell where she was. Renji had been tracking them for a while and before this encounter, they only had two children in the group; one with black hair and one with violet hair. The addition of a second one with black hair almost felt like their attempt at creating a decoy.

Whatever the reason, all three children were now gone and six of the teenagers were with them. The remaining ghouls were attempting to circle him. _I don't want to hurt these kids, but I need to find Akiko._ His eyes narrowed as one particularly bold teenager rushed at him. A kick to the abdomen sent the boy flying backwards, knocking over a girl. _I'm going to lose her if I don't hurry!_

Renji turned in the direction he had seen the escapees run, but caught sight of something that made him pause. In the heavy rain, there was a pair of figures running down the street in that direction. _Miyu…? And Uta. He must have brought her here with him. Itori must have told him something._ His eyes widened slightly when he saw something bright pink in her hand. _A mask?_

"Hey, old timer! Where do you think you're going?!" A girl launched herself onto his back while he was distracted and was soon trying to dig her fingers beneath the edge of his mask. "What do you want, huh? You looking for a good time 'cause I'll show you a good time! It'll be a _real_ good time when I'm tearing open your chest with my kagune!"

He twisted sharply, attempting to throw her off. The girl's heels dug into his stomach from behind and he gritted his teeth. The last thing that he wanted to do was kill someone so young. The ghouls he had fought before were older than him or at least closer to his age. He had never actually approached this group. It seemed those others were unaffiliated with the gang of teenagers that he was now facing.

A few more tried to attack him while he was preoccupied with her, but he was able to keep them at bay. When he finally had enough, he let his kagune out. The girl was thrown backwards off of him, shrieking in outrage. He turned and gripped the arm of one boy that was bold enough to come at him with his kagune out. The boy tried to strike at him with it, even as Renji wrenched his arm behind his back. A kick to the lower back sent the boy sprawling onto the ground.

 _Miyu and Uta can handle the kids. I'll keep these ones from going after them_ , he determined. The rain was sticking his hair to his mask and he paused to clear his vision. The group was trying to close in on him, as if planning to all rush him at once. They were making it very difficult for him to attempt a peaceful rescue of Akiko.

When he first learned of the girl's situation, he wanted to try talking to her. If he could tell her that her aunt was in the twentieth ward, she might decide that she wanted to go with him to see her. The opportunity never came. After finding out her first location, he went to attempt communication and was met with some rather aggressive ghouls that refused. From there, it seemed to have spiraled out of control.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Uta had suggested splitting up and she was anxious. It had been a while since Miyu fought and she had a feeling that this was not going to be easy. Worse, she was not sure which child she was currently tracking. They were wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt and were being carried on the back of a teenage girl.

 _If that's Akiko, what should I do? Should I just tell her who I am and hope that she'll want to come with me or is that hoping for too much?_ She glanced over her shoulder, checking to see if she was being followed. In the distance, a teenage boy was now running after her.

Miyu grimaced behind her mask and let her jacket slide off, tossing it aside to reclaim later. _I don't want to rip that, but I know that I'll have to use my kagune. They're not letting this kid go without a fight, whether it's my niece or not!_ It was a dark, rainy night and it was rather late. No one would see. She knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on her next actions.

The second that her kagune tore through the back of her shirt, she heard the boy's footsteps falter behind her. The top two appendages darted out, striking him across the face and sending him crumbling to the ground unconscious. When she turned to continue following the other teen, she saw that they had stopped to see what had happened.

Miyu's four crimson kagune twitched in the cold, damp air of the night and she faced the teenage girl. A small, pale face was peering at her over the girl's shoulder and a pair of dark eyes widened in amazement. She started forward, but the teenager remained standing there with a combine expression of awe and horror. "I'm…looking for Kurotani," Miyu started. Her voice was slightly muffled by the mask, but still clear enough that the other two ghouls understood her.

"Y-you're…from the fourth ward…?! The Pink Spider! No way! No, no, no! I didn't sign up for this shit! No one said the Pink Spider and No Face were involved!"

"P-Pink Spider…" the child muttered.

 _Am I…famous?_ Shaking off their reaction, Miyu gave a simple nod. "I'm looking for Kurotani."

The teenager took a step back, shaking her head. "I-I don't have her! I'm sorry! Um…I-I think one of the boys took her!" She saw Miyu take a step closer and she began to visibly tremble. "I'm sorry! I really am, okay?! I don't have her! This kid is called Kuroda! I don't have Kurotani, I swear! Kid, take off your hood! Please! I don't want any trouble from the Pink Spider!"

Miyu saw the child reach up and pull back their hood. Their hair was a violet shade instead of black. "Which way did Kurotani go?"

"I-I don't know! I really don't! I'm sorry, Spider-san! I'm not sure which way he went! When the Raven came, we didn't have a plan! He wasn't supposed to know we were here!"

She reached up, unbuckling the top strap of her mask so she could look at the girl directly. As she did this, she continued the last few steps and offered a faint smile. "It's okay…I understand." Her gaze went to the child now. "Kuroda-san…? You're alright?" The kid nodded once. "And you?" She looked back to the teenager.

"I…we're just…we're just trying to survive. It's not easy. I-I'm always hungry! I didn't think it would be like this, but I don't have any other choice!"

Miyu frowned and reached out for the girl's hand. She dug in her back pocket, drew forth a pen, and scrawled her number. "Okay? Get away from this group; you're too easy to notice in such large numbers. When you need food, call me and I'll help you. I…know what it's like, okay?"

The teenager's eyes began to water. "Th-thank you, Spider-san!"

"And tell me when you know where Kurotani is."

"I will! I promise that I'll tell you right away!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

"This is…disappointing." Uta frowned at the child that he had been tracking. Their guardian had just abandoned them on a corner, apparently more afraid of Uta than determined to do their job. He had taken care of their accomplice already and had hoped that they might pose a real challenge, but he was left dissatisfied.

Even worse, this was clearly not Akiko. The child standing in front of him was a little boy with shoulder-length black hair and the meanest glare he had ever seen a ten-year-old make. When the little boy attempted a fighting stance, Uta turned away. "C'mon, old man! You think you can just run from a fight! I'm just as strong as those others! You think you're too good to fight a kid?!"

He left the boy, now determined to find the last child. That one could only be Akiko. As he began the search, he tried to decide what he would say to her. He had to know how much she knew about Hideaki, but he had to ask in a way that would not come across as suspicious. If Renji or Miyu got to her first, it could be bad.

As he reached a crossroads, he caught sight of something puzzling. Smoke billowing out of an alley's opening. The ghoul started toward it, frowning as he drew closer. A body flew out of the alley, smashing into the side of a building and smoldering. The rain quickly put out the last flickers of flame, but it was too late for the teenager. Uta tilted his head as he paused on the sidewalk. _Little Phoenix?_

A small figure sprinted out of the alley, catching his attention. A large container was held tightly in one hand, a lighter gripped in the other. There were two slits in the back of her hooded sweatshirt and through those slits protruded a pair of crimson, misshapen "wings". The sight was startling. Her kagune were such a perfect recreation of Hideki's that it was as if seeing Miyu's brother reborn.

She reached the next corner and stopped, looking over her shoulder. Dark grey eyes similar to Miyu's, locked onto Uta's red and black ones. Her mouth twisted in displeasure and she turned to run down the street on her right. The sound of her boots splashing through puddles could be heard even through the rain.

Uta moved to pursue her, but heard something that made him turn left instead of right. A familiar cry of pain sent him running toward Miyu, who was currently locked in a fight against two boys. Damage had been done to both parties, despite Miyu's strength. When she was stabbed through the shoulder by one boy's koukaku kagune, he took the initiative to jump in.

An arm wrapped around Miyu's waist and he turned to drive his elbow into the boy's face. The younger man stumbled backwards, holding his nose and swearing. His friend tried to rush at Uta, but was repelled by a swift kick to the midsection. He felt Miyu's kagune loosely wrap around him to keep him close and he looked down to see her expression. "Miyu?"

"They…they don't have her," she murmured. "The one that I followed didn't have her and these two attacked me when I went after the third one."

"I saw her."

"You…you saw Akiko?"

"Yeah." Uta turned in the direction that the child had gone, but that road was now empty. _She got away._ He frowned and remembered the odd items she was carrying. The container had to have contained gasoline or alcohol, given that she was also carrying a lighter. Where she was going, he had no idea. She had murdered one of her own group members so it was difficult to even determine her motives.

Renji rounded the opposite corner and approached the two. His coat was torn in a few spots, but he seemed fine otherwise. "Did you find her?"

"She got away."

"I…made a connection with two of the group members," Miyu spoke up. "We'll…have another chance to find her."


	40. Chapter 39

NeonHorizon: I promise that I won't focus on the kids too much because I know that's not what you're here for. No one's here for the emotional tragic parts.

* * *

"This is the place? Looks too fancy. Are you sure this is the right address?"

"It's the right address! It's the place from the message on the phone! See?!" Kuroda shoved the phone in front of the boy's face, but the words meant nothing to him. Neither of them could read.

Their companion reached over, taking it from her. "Anteiku?"

"What's that mean, Phoenix-chan?"

"I don't know. Someone said they'd get us food, right?"

"Yeah! The Pink Spider! The girl said that the Pink Spider told her to meet her today around noon for some food!" Kuroda beamed, sniffing at the air. "Sure smells nice, right? The coffee!"

Dark grey eyes narrowed on the building. "Pink Spider?"

"The Pink Spider from the fourth ward, Phoenix-chan! Even _I've_ heard of her! She and No Face took down so many doves!" the little boy spoke up now. "They're so _cool_!"

The girl's hands started to shake a little and she handed the phone back to Kuroda. It had been a gamble to sneak away from the group. Kuroda had heard her guardian mention the message from the Pink Spider and told the other two children. They had, in turn, stolen the phone and escaped in the hopes of forming their own group somewhere else. She knew that her mother had grown up in the fourth ward so to hear that the very person who was supposed to help them was from there was well sparked an odd hope.

"What do you think, Phoenix-chan? Wanna get some coffee? We've probably got enough for some." Kuroda's tone was one of clear excitement.

"Yeah. I wanna drink some coffee."

"We don't belong in a fancy place like that! We're gonna stick out!" the boy argued. "Plus, we're kids. They'll wanna call our parents or something."

"We've got every right to go in there. Look; there's a lady and she's taking a kid in there, too. _That_ girl doesn't look much older than _us_ so it's okay."

 **Shift P.O.V**

 _I need to be at Anteiku around noon. I've got some time to kill._ Miyu leaned back on the couch, sighing. The rescue attempt had been a failure, but she had at least managed to connect with one of the group members. She had been only a little surprised when the teenager sent her a message, requesting help with food. Of course, she was more than happy to help. Especially since there were children involved. _Why do they have those kids with the group? Are they all orphans?_

She tensed, picking up a familiar scent near the door. Renji had been asked to run some errands, completely unrelated to his side quest, so Miyu was currently home alone. As she stood to approach the door, she winced at the throbbing pain in her shoulder. Her injury from the attempted rescue had not finished healing. It had been almost a week, but she was afraid to mention anything to Yoshimura. As much as she wanted to ask for an extra ration of food for herself, she was hesitant to bring it up. It felt too much like asking for help.

Uta caught her puzzled frown when she opened the door and tilted his head. "Is this a bad time? I can come back."

"It's…it's alright." She opened the door wider to let him, but saw him hesitate. "Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to see you," he admitted sheepishly. "And I brought you something." He slipped off his bag and retrieved something wrapped in brown paper, smelling strongly of meat. "You haven't eaten since your fight, have you?"

The woman's blushed faintly, her eyes cast down. "...you know me so well…"

"Of course." He brightened a little and leaned in closer. "Where's Renji?"

"He…went out." Miyu absently fidgeted with a lock of her hair, her free hand reaching out for the gift. "Thank you for the food."

He nodded and his lips drew into a smile. "Are you working today?"

"No…but I have to go to Anteiku around noon for something." She glanced at the time and saw that she still had a little over an hour. Settling on the couch, she decided to eat before she left.

Uta closed the door behind him and sat beside her, watching her tear away the paper. He saw her take the first bite and savor the taste, her eyes half-closing. "Is it good?"

"…this is really fresh…" There was almost a hint of suspicion in her tone. She was curious about where he had gotten it from, but at the same time she was afraid to ask. Chewing, she pondered how she would do the transaction with the teenager at Anteiku. _She needs to know that I'm giving her a large portion so she can share it, but I don't want to come across as bossy. I don't want to lose my connection to the only person that's close to Akiko._

He had been leaning back, but sat up when he saw blood run from the corner of her mouth. Reaching over, he nonchalantly ran his thumb up the line of blood and brought it to his lips to lick it away. He caught the unmistakable blush that rose to her cheeks and smiled. "Hm?"

"N-nothing."

"You're still cute when you get embarrassed like this." A hand gently tucked her hair behind her ear as he leaned in closer.

Miyu lifted the chunk of food to finish eating and he frowned again. "Sorry…um…I just don't have a lot of time."

"You said that you have to go to Anteiku. Are you meeting Renji there?"

"Ah. Actually, I'm meeting someone else. If you're not busy…would you want to go with me?" She saw the puzzled look in his eyes and bowed her head. "I'm giving food to someone. You remember that girl that was carrying one of the kids?" He nodded. "She's meeting me to pick up some food. She…said that she's planning to leave that group and I'm going to tell her to come to the twentieth ward…and try to bring Akiko with her."

Uta was silent for a long moment, simply staring back at her. When he closed the distance between them, he brought his lips down to her ear. "You're so kind." His fingers trailed through her reddish brown locks as he moved his face to the delicate skin between her neck and shoulder.

Her eyes half-closed as she felt his lips brush over the side of her neck. Miyu's heart raced in her chest and she hesitantly lifted a hand to his shoulder. "Uta…?" To her surprise, his arms wrapped around her. "Uta?"

"You know, don't you? I still love you."

The female ghoul's face went from pink to red. "Y-you…still love me…?"

"We should probably go soon," he remarked, leaning back. "You have to be there at noon, right?"

"…yes…" Miyu let him help her stand and walked alongside him to the café. _He said that he still loves me._ _We've been friends for ten years now, but he still loves me? I don't know how to feel. I still…get kind of flustered around him sometimes, but how do I feel?_ Watching him from the corner of her eye, she saw him smile. _I don't know how to feel. Renji and I have been together for so long and I love Renji, but when Uta gets so close to me…my heart still races…and I still blush. It's confusing._

When they arrived at Anteiku, she was immediately taken aback. Seated at a table as far from the door as possible were three children. They were dressed in dark clothing that looked like rather well-worn with tears in some spots. Looking around, Miyu did not see the teenager that she had made plans to meet up with.

Uta tilted his head, his gaze fixing on the table as well. "Something's wrong."

"I…don't see the girl. I don't know what happened."

The small group was comprised of a boy with shoulder-length black hair, a girl with long violet hair, and another girl with long black hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. The violet-haired girl looked excited to be there while the boy looked suspicious of his surroundings and the other girl seemed to be quietly mulling something over while sipping from a coffee cup. When her dark grey eyes lifted and met Miyu's, they began to widen. Her lips moved and the other two followed her gaze.

A chair was knocked over as the violet-haired girl called Kuroda sprinted over to grab Miyu in a hug. "It's you! You really came! See, you guys?! I told you that she'd be here!"

The older ghoul gave Touka an apologetic look and mouthed the word "sorry". Looking down at the child, she attempted a smile. "Where's the other girl?"

"Sh-she couldn't make it, okay? But _we're_ here! You'll help us out even if she's not here, right?"

Now very glad that there were no other customers in the café, she nodded. "You're…hungry, right?" The little girl nodded. "And your friends…?"

"I thought your hair was supposed to be _pink_ ," the boy grumbled as he walked over. "Kuroda-chan, are you sure about this?"

"She had the mask and everything! You don't know!" She stuck out her tongue at the boy and hugged Miyu. Tilting her head back a little, she blushed. "Is that your boyfriend, Spider-san? He looks cool!"

 _Boyfriend?_ Miyu glanced to Uta, who simply smiled and crouched down to pat the child on the head. Shaking it off, she lifted her eyes to the black-haired girl now approaching them. The child was unmistakably her brother's daughter. From the narrowed grey eyes to the disapproving frown and sleek black hair. Although her face was heart-shaped like her mother's instead of round. _She looks so much like Aki-nii…_

The little girl continued to glare for a moment as she stood in front of Miyu. "You're really gonna give us food, Spider?"

Hearing the nickname, Uta's smile grew. "I like that name. Don't worry; Spider promised to get you food…she always keeps her promises." He saw the girl tense and grit her teeth. "Where's the other girl?"

"We don't _need_ her, okay? Just help us out, No Face!" The little boy tried to put himself between the girl and the two adults, but was shoved aside by her. "Phoenix-chan, what's your problem?"

"No Face. Pink Spider." Akiko bowed and tilted her head when she straightened. "Call me Phoenix. It's written like the fiery bird. My friends are Kuroda and Sparrow. You're both from the fourth ward, right? My parents came from there."

Miyu glanced to Touka, who was watching this strange meeting unfold. "Let's…take this somewhere private, okay? Touka, can you get some food for them?" She saw the younger ghoul nod. A sharp tug at her sleeve made her look down again. "Phoenix-chan?"

"Did you…know Kurotani Hideaki and Shiraishi Himeko? Did you know them, Spider-san?" Despite her glower, there were tears in her eyes.


	41. Chapter 40

NeonHorizon: Shout out to the reviewers! All of you readers are lovely, but the reviewers will always hold a special little place in my heart.

* * *

Miyu bowed her head, concentrating on her carving as she pondered what her niece had told her. The three young ghouls had been fed and offered temporary residence at Anteiku until more permanent arrangements could be made. They had been ravenous and Kuroda had even admitted that they had gone quite a while without eating. The gang they had escaped from seemed to have planned to use the three as a potential food source.

Pushing a lock of neon pink hair behind her ear, she leaned down to look closer. She blew away a bit of dust and tilted her head to the side. _Aki-nii…hasn't been seen in ten years. So where did he go? Phoenix said that her mother talked about him a lot, but never said what happened to him. Just that he left ten years ago. So where did he go?_ The ghoul turned the figure in her hands, biting her lower lip. Despite the ten years, her brother was still vivid in her memory and this carving was bound to make a good gift for Phoenix.

A hand on her knee made her jump a little and she lifted her gaze. Red and black eyes stared back at her as Uta gave her a questioning look. "Ah…sorry. Did you say something, Uta?"

His lips drew back in a smile. "I like your hair better this way."

She half-smiled in response and felt a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "…I just…wanted to see if it made a difference now…if it would make me feel strong again…"

"This color suits you better," he commented, lifting a strand of her hair. "What are you making? Is that for your niece?"

"Y-yeah. It's Aki-nii." Her smile fell and she continued her work, but felt his fingers brushing along the strand of hair. The younger ghouls knew now that she was related to Phoenix, but it seemed to barely matter to the little girl. She was far more interested in Miyu being the Pink Spider and having known Hideaki.

Uta peered down at the figure, still absently toying with the neon pink lock of hair in his fingers. It was nostalgic to see her this way. Though it had been many years since she last had pink hair and she no longer looked like a teenager, he still enjoyed seeing her with this hair color. She was still the same Miyu that he loved.

When she finally finished the carving, Miyu leaned back and examined it. _This…looks a lot like Aki-nii. I can't tell Phoenix where he is, but I can at least give her this so she can know what he looked like._ She ran a fingertip over the carved kagune. The small, misshapen kagune that he had been so frustrated with when they were teenagers. _I don't even know what kagune our parents had_ , she realized with a frown.

"Can I see it?"

"Oh…y-yes. Here. What do you think?" She handed it over, feeling his fingers brush over hers briefly as he accepted it. Now that her hair was released, she became aware of a slight heaviness around where he had been touching. Running her hand over the soft locks, she realized that he had braided the strand that he had been admiring. Miyu turned away, trying to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. "Uta?"

"This looks just like him," he confirmed. The man's smile was directed at her and he pushed her hair behind her ear. "Hm? What's wrong?"

"I-it's nothing." Miyu held out her hand to take it back from him, but instead saw his other hand reach for her wrist. She was tugged forward, against his chest, and Miyu's eyes widened. "Ah…Uta? What…what is it?"

His arm pressed at her back, keeping her against him, and he buried his face in her soft, pink hair. "I missed this…"

Her pulse quickened and she hugged back, letting her eyes slide closed. _We've hugged before since the fourth ward, but this feels different. What is it? That weird feeling that I used to get when I was around him…that fluttery feeling. I can feel it again; in my chest and stomach._ She felt his arm move and she leaned back again, shifting her eyes away from his. "Y-you missed hugging?"

There was an amused sort of quality to the smile that he displayed. "Itori helped you with your hair, didn't she?"

"Oh. Y-yes. I went to see her this morning." Miyu remembered what a strange ordeal it had been. She had gone to check on the three younger ghouls first and then went to see Itori for help coloring her hair. The other woman had been ecstatic to help her. _Renji hasn't see it yet. Wasn't he going to see the kids before coming home tonight?_

When Uta left, saying that he had something that he needed to do, she felt disappointed. The apartment had been quiet, even with him there, but at least he had kept her company. Now she was alone and she felt a painful nostalgia. Memories of sitting alone in her house, carving stamps and feeling trapped in the silence. She scratched at her wrist, frowning to herself.

Moving around the apartment, she tried to find little distractions. She made coffee, wiped the counters in the kitchen, cleaned the sink, swept the floor, stared out the window at the city beneath the late afternoon sun, and finally settled on the couch with a book. The woman sighed in frustration as she found herself reading the same sentence over and over again in an almost endless cycle.

 _It didn't really bother me before. Why do I feel so anxious about being alone? Is it because Uta brought up the past? Is it subconscious guilt about leaving Phoenix at Anteiku?_ Miyu jumped when the apartment door opened. Looking over, she felt a rush of relief at seeing Renji. "W-welcome home."

He locked the door behind him and paused in his steps, his gaze fixed upon her hair. His initial facial expression showed that he had intended to tell her something, but now he looked puzzled and somewhat unsure of how to react. After a moment, he continued into the apartment. "…your hair is pink…"

"I…just wanted to color it again…" The woman stood and crossed to the kitchen, frowning to herself. _I didn't consider how he might react. I can't tell if he's upset or not. He's been hard to read lately_. Pouring coffee for herself, she bowed her head. "Do you want coffee?"

"No." His tone was strained and he remained standing near the couch. "Miyu…I'm going to the ravine tonight. I want you to come with me."

She felt a rush of happiness and a smile tugged at her lips. "O-okay. I'll get ready." The female ghoul set down her cup and moved toward their room, excited that he was asking for her help. Since he began his search for her niece, he seemed to be more distant. He had not asked for her to accompany him to the ravine since before his search started so she was excited to have the opportunity to help him again.

As she neared the doorway, her wrist was caught in a tight grip and her body was turned. Miyu's back pressed against the wall beside the open doorway, her cheeks heating up rapidly as Renji pinned her wrist above her head. His grey eyes were narrowed upon hers, lips twisted into a frown as he regarded her. "R-Renji…?"

His free hand lifted, fingers trailing through her neon pink locks and his thumb brushing over the braided strand. The frown deepened and he leaned down to the side of her neck, the tip of his nose lightly touching her skin. "Uta was here again…?" he murmured.

Miyu's eyes half-closed, her breathing becoming a bit heavier as she felt his lips gently skim over her neck. The ghoul's heart was already racing and the closeness of his body to hers was making her feel a bit too warm. She squirmed a little, her hips subconsciously shifting side to side as she felt his lips part. Teeth delicately scraped over her flesh and the sensation forced a whimper from the woman. Her back arched and the man bit down just enough to make her whimper evolve into a soft moan.

The bite ended, replaced by a kiss that was almost as tantalizing. Her free hand lifted, threading her fingers into his pale hair and pressing him closer. His hips pushed forward, pinning her lower half against the wall as he moved his lips from her neck to her mouth. She eagerly kissed back, her body trying desperately to lean forward into him as she craved more of his touch.

When he finally pulled away, he stared down at her with a slightly guilty look to his eyes. Renji turned his head to the side, releasing her wrist and taking a step back. "…I'm sorry…"

Miyu averted her eyes, biting her lower lip. "N-no. I'm sorry. Uta…came over earlier. He said that it was a slow day so he wanted to hang out."

He looked toward her again and reached down, tucking her hair behind her ear and waiting patiently for her to meet his gaze once more. "Miyu…I'm sorry. I shouldn't be jealous, but…"

"N-no, it's okay! I understand." She felt her heart still racing, even as she attempted to calm down. The woman wanted him to continue what they had started, but it was clear that the moment was over. "I'm…going to get ready to go."

 **Shift P.O.V**

He watched her go into their bedroom and he wanted to follow her, but he hesitated. Instead, Renji walked to the kitchen and stood with his back to the rest of the apartment. The woman's abandoned coffee cup was taken and he sipped at it, hoping to calm himself down. This was not how he wanted the evening to start.

Renji had visited Anteiku earlier that afternoon to check on the three children that Yoshimura had graciously allowed to stay there. Two of them seemed to be excited while the third was quiet and brooding. Kurotani Akiko reminded him so much of when he first met Miyu. She had been so quiet and so anxious about interacting. This little girl was trying to act tough, but he could see how nervous she was about the changes in her life.

When she heard that he had lived in the fourth ward, she had asked if he knew Hideaki or Himeko and he was forced to say no. Renji had never met either of them, but he was sure that Hideaki had been a good man. Based on the stories that Miyu had told him and how the older ghoul had raised her.

Unfortunately, Renji knew the terrible truth about Hideaki's disappearance. He had died ten years ago and his body was buried in the fourth ward, in an unmarked grave, in an alley. Uta had told him that Hideaki was murdered by the CCG and that he had just happened to find the corpse, but Renji knew deep down that this was a lie. He had always suspected that Uta had killed him. Whether intentionally or by accident, he was certain that Uta had caused Hideaki's death.

After ten years of Miyu living under the assumption that her brother was alive and well with his wife and child, Renji felt the guilt getting heavier. Now it was like a stone, sitting in his gut. He wanted to get rid of it, but if he did then he knew how much pain it would cause Miyu. Especially if she knew that he had kept this secret from her for so long. As he debated the morals of upholding this lie, Renji heard her announce that she was ready to leave.


	42. Chapter 41

Even after so much time had passed, Miyu was still afflicted by her defect. Thankfully, due to Anteiku supplying her with food, she never needed to hunt. The only time her defect was really a problem was when she helped Renji scavenge in the ravine. In the moment, she would wear a blindfold to keep herself from seeing the bodies, but she could still feel them. She was still very aware of the similarity between their body shape and a ghoul's. It made her stomach turn.

The feeling and sight of a human corpse brought on nightmares of the past. That night, she was haunted by memories. She dreamed about the CCG investigators that she had slaughtered when she was younger. Miyu was woken in the morning by Renji. His expression was one of sadness and worry.

"Are you…alright?" He leaned over, gently pushing her hair away from her face. Seeing the tears run from the corners of her eyes, his frown deepened. "Miyu…I'm sorry."

"I-it's not your fault." She pushed herself to sit upright in bed and looked away toward the window. "…just nightmares…I'm fine…"

Renji was unconvinced and leaned in close to her, an arm wrapping around her to pull Miyu against his chest. He could feel her trembling, even as her hands moved to clutch his shoulders. "Take the day off…I know that you're still tired," he mumbled. "I won't be out late tonight. There's…something that I need to tell you, but I'm not ready to talk about it yet. But…tonight…"

Miyu nodded and blushed almost as pink as her hair when she felt him kiss the top of her head. She watched him get ready for the day and leave, but then found herself feeling worse than when she had woken up. _I don't want to be alone_ , she decided. _If I'm alone…I'll keep thinking about the doves…and Aki-nii…and Himeko-san. I need a distraction._

She put on some black pants and a dark grey sweater, wanting to still look somewhat stylish without drawing too much attention. Packing up some supplies, she set off for the fourth ward and made sure that her phone was out. In the past, the cellphone worked as a decent deterrent to keep people from bothering her. At the same time, she found herself sending messages back and forth with Itori as she tried to figure out what Renji meant. She felt anxious each time she remembered the serious tone and look on his face when he said that he had to tell her something.

As she walked through the fourth ward, she remembered little things that had happened while she lived there. The day she had gone to get her brother a Christmas present and she ran into Uta. The day she had followed Renji after his first fight in the fourth ward. Walking around with her two female friends, whose names she could no longer remember. The scruffy stray dog that had wandered up to her one day and made itself at home in her house.

Miyu was remembering a brutal fight between her brother and Uta when something in an alley caught her eye. The pink-haired ghoul paused in her steps, staring at the bundle of dying flowers. She glanced around a bit, unsettled yet curious. Adjusting the strap of her bag, she proceeded into the alley.

The flowers were not completely dead, but fading and becoming slightly brittle. Lifting the bundle in her hand, she looked at the ground where it had been sitting. A perplexed frown took form on her lips. _Why are these here? This is such a weird place for someone to leave flowers. Do I leave them here? Is someone coming back for them?_

"Miyu?"

She jolted at the sound of the man behind her and turned quickly, still gripping the flowers in her right hand. "Ah…y-you startled me, Uta."

He tilted his head, letting his sunglasses slide down just enough to show that he was staring at the flowers she held. "I thought that I caught your scent…HySy isn't very far from here. What are you doing? Were you looking for me?"

The woman glanced from the flowers to the man in front of her. "Y-yes. I have the day off, but…Renji doesn't. I was going to ask if I could work on some carvings in your studio…" She flushed a vibrant pink when he stepped closer. "I-it's just too quiet in the apartment right now and…I…"

"You wanted to see me?" he asked, flashing a half-grin. "You're so sweet." Uta lowered his gaze further now, directing it at the ground beneath her feet. "Those flowers…?"

"Ah. I found them in this alley. I don't know who left them…or why…but they caught my attention. I should probably put them back." She moved to set the bundle down again, but her wrist was caught by Uta as he crouched as well. "D-did you want these?"

"I think they're better off with you."

 **Shift P.O.V**

It was happening again. He never expected to see her in this alley again, but here she was. He almost regretted following her scent. She looked undeniably cute; standing there with a puzzled expression on her face as she held a bouquet meant for her brother. Standing there on top of her brother's unmarked grave. Despite the macabre scenario, she was oblivious and just as cute as she was when they were teenagers. He really wanted to get her alone in the art studio.

Recognition began to take form in her eyes and she looked back to the flowers. "This…happened before…didn't it?"

Uta gave a small nod, trying not to let his facial expression betray his conflicting emotions. The last time this happened, he was unfazed. Now, he felt different. He felt guilty for letting her stand on the grave without knowing what it was. She was holding the bouquet, looking like she might put it back down.

"You wanted to go to the shop with me?" he finally spoke up.

"Ah. Y-yes, if that's alright. I have a few carving projects that I need to work on…if that's alright." Miyu looked away, flustered, and began to fidget with the braided strand of hair to the left of her face.

He was in front of her within just a few steps and gripped her wrist gently, bringing it to his lips. His eyes half-closed as he watched her face go from pink to red and he smiled against her delicate wrist. Pressing a tender kiss to her pulse point, he reached for her other hand and tightened her grip on the flowers. "Let's go. We don't want to attract attention, do we?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu bit her lower lip and shook her head. She had not realized that she was holding her breath until he released her wrist in favor of holding her hand. As he led her out of the alley, she quietly exhaled and felt her heart begin to pound. _Why does it seem like he's…sad about something? I don't remember seeing that look in his eyes before…when he looked at these flowers._ Shaking it off, she picked up her pace so that she could easily keep up with him.

She had been to HySy a number of times, but usually with Renji or Itori. The atmosphere inside was incredibly calming in comparison to the chaos and violence that were rapidly claiming the rest of the fourth ward. Lingering near the door, she watched him settle at his desk and wondered what she should do with the flowers. She wondered if the gift giver might want them back.

Miyu decided to just set the flowers aside and worry about them later. Settling on the spare seat, she dug in her bag for her tools and a fresh block of wood to begin to carving. She still wanted to carve some figures for the ghoul children staying at Anteiku. The figure of her brother was just something special for her niece; the others deserved their own figures.

As she worked, she found her gaze being drawn to the flowers again and again. _I really want to know why they were in that alley. There's nothing there. What could be there? Maybe a pet's grave? But it's been ten years. I know that I've seen flowers in that alley before. Seeing Uta reminded me of that time…when Renji told me to stay out of that alley._ Her chest started to feel tight as she worried that maybe something dear to him was buried there.

A chin rested on her shoulder as arms wrapped around her from behind and her back was pressed against a warm chest. "What are you making? It looks cute."

Miyu tensed and glanced to the man's pale face, seeing that his red and black eyes were focused on her face. "I-I was making a cat…for the other little girl."

Uta watched intently as the carving tool scraped over the surface of the wood, slowly forcing it to take the shape she wanted. "Miyu…do you still love me?"

She paused and let the carving tool rest on her lap. "I…care a lot about you." The pink-haired ghoul felt a shiver run along her spine as he nuzzled the side of her neck, his lip piercing gently skimming over her delicate skin. "Uta?"

"Would you ever hate me?" His voice was soft as he asked his, his hands resting on her hips to keep her from leaving the seat. From leaving the room. From stopping the impending confession.

"Wh-why do you ask? We've…been friends for ten years…and…" Miyu closed her eyes, taking a shaky breath. "When I'm around you, my heart and stomach feel…fluttery…and my face gets warm. We'll…always be friends, Uta."

The man buried his face in the crook between her neck and shoulder, sighing gently. "Do you love me?" he attempted again.

"…yes…" Her heart was racing faster than it had in quite a while. _What is he saying? Why would I hate him? Did he do something? Wait…_ A chill settled over her. Tears immediately began to blur her vision and her hands started to shake. "Uta…please…"

"If I tell you…you can't run away," the man stated. "If I tell you my secret, I don't want you to run from me. I want you stay here and let me hold you like this, alright?" He knew what sort of face she was making and he could hear her pulse beating loudly in the side of her neck. His arms tightened around her. "Promise me that you'll stay…promise me that you won't hate me…"

Despite her fear and mounting despair, the woman nodded. "I-I promise." Warm breath fanned over her skin as he sighed and she felt his chest press closer against her back.

"Miyu…Aki came back to the fourth ward just a little before Renji showed up. I'm sure that he planned to take you with him, but…there were some doves waiting to ambush him. You know how Aki was. He was too stubborn to just run and they were too strong for him to try to fight by himself…" Now he could feel her body tremble as she sobbed, tears dotting her lap.

Uta opened his eyes, looking to her watery grey eyes. He lifted a hand, carefully wiping at her tears with the edge of his sleeve. "I'm sorry, Miyu…by the time I found him…it was too late. I tried to hide him in a shed, but…I knew that he needed a proper burial. Those flowers that you found were left at his grave…where Renji helped me bury him. I never wanted to tell you because I didn't want to see you heartbroken, but…I don't like keeping secrets from you…"


	43. Chapter 42

_They knew. They both knew. Ten years and neither of them ever told me. They just let me believe that he was still alive! They let me delude myself into thinking that I might be able to see him again!_ Miyu's vision was blurry with tears as she stared at the bare dirt within the alley. She lifted a trembling hand, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve.

"…why didn't they just tell me…?" Her voice was just above a whisper as she let her other hand rest on the ground. "Aki-nii…you've been here this whole time." It was almost comical, in a cruel and twisted way, to think that she had wanted so desperately to see her brother again. He had been so close all along.

Her fingertips dug into the dirt and she choked back a sob. When she left Uta's shop, she told him that she was going home. There was no way that she could tell him where she was really going because she wanted to be alone. If he knew that she was just going to sit by her brother's grave and mourn, he would have wanted to go with her.

 _Aki-nii. What am I supposed to do now? Himeko-san died. Your daughter…you never even got to meet her. You didn't get to see her birth. What am I going to do? What would you do? Your daughter needs help. I don't know what to do for her._ Miyu felt a tightness in her chest as she thought about her niece. The girl deserved to know what happened to her father, but Miyu had to consider the consequences of telling her.

Once Phoenix knew that her father was dead, murdered by doves, she would undoubtedly grow to despise humans. As it stood, she seemed to feel neutral toward them. When she was in the café with the other two kids, she never showed any sort of malice toward the human customers.

Miyu wiped at her eyes again and bowed her head. She knew that she had to go back to the apartment. Renji had told her that he would be home as soon as he could. She dreaded confronting him about his involvement in Hideaki's burial, but she needed answers. He had kept this secret from her for ten years. He had listened to her talk about her hopes of finding Hideaki one day and had supported those dreams. Looking back on it, she now felt horribly betrayed.

Footsteps approached the entrance to the alley, but she kept her head down. She knew who it was from their scent; Uta was hard not to recognize. The female ghoul curled into a tight ball, gritting her teeth as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "…just let me mourn…please…" Her voice came out a little hoarse from crying and speaking made her throat hurt.

He ignored her plea and joined her in the alley. Of course, he knew that she would be here. Now that she knew where her brother was, she was unlikely to stray too far from the fourth ward for long. She would want to be close to Hideaki, even if he was dead. Uta crouched in front of the pink-haired ghoul and gently slid his fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face. Her tears made her eyes shimmer, turning them an almost silvery color. He frowned and lifted his free hand to wipe at her tears. "Are you okay, Miyu?"

She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to sink her kagune into him and tear him apart for keeping this secret from her for so long. Miyu knew that neither of these things would happen. Her body was trembling, her strength failing her as she felt a fresh wave of despair wash over her. Looking to Hideaki's unmarked grave, her lower lip quivered. "You knew…for _ten years_. Wh-why didn't you just tell me? If you…hated to keep a secret from me…"

"I didn't want you to feel this kind of pain." Uta moved closer and pulled her against his chest. Her tears dotted his shoulder, but he ignored it. She began to tremble in his embrace and he let his hand gently rub along her back. "It's alright. You can take it out on me…I just don't want you to hate me."

Miyu's hands clutched at the front of his shirt, fighting the urge to push him away. As angry as she was, she knew that she did not have the strength or fury to fight him. They were still friends. _It's not like he got anything out of keeping it a secret,_ she told herself. _I'm just angry! I just can't believe that they both knew and never said anything to me! I feel so stupid!_

Uta tensed, slightly alarmed when he felt all four of her kagune suddenly pierce into his back. He stared at the red, shimmery appendages stretching from her back and around to him. Pulling her closer, he felt them sink in a little deeper. "I'm sorry. I know that I should have told you."

"Renji…never said a word about this," she muttered. "He…let me think there was a chance…to see Aki-nii again and he _knew_ …he knew that it was impossible!" Miyu felt blood running down one of her kagune and opened her eyes. She saw the look of pain on his face and realized what she had done. Pulling her kagune out of his back, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

"It's okay. You're upset. I don't blame you if you want to take it out on me." He continued to hold her, letting his hands gently rub her back and try to help her calm down. "Miyu, you can't stay here. You know it's dangerous."

"I just…want to be close to him." She felt blood beneath her hands and her eyes widened. Pulling away, she stared at him in horror. "I-I…stabbed you…"

"It's okay," he repeated. Uta gave her a gentle smile, reaching down to push her hair away from her face. The woman's eyes were a little puffy from crying, her kakugan still activated from having used her kagune. "Your eyes look so beautiful right now…"

Even in her despair, these sweet words managed to make her blush. She looked away from him, biting her lower lip as she tried to think of something to say. _I stabbed him! He didn't deserve that! He…didn't want to hurt me._ Miyu's kagune retracted fully, her eyes slowly returning to their dark grey shade. "I…should go home. Renji will wonder where I am."

His smile faded and he tilted his head. "I don't want you to go. You said that you wouldn't run away after I told you my secret."

"I didn't tell him where I was going…and I've been gone for a while." Miyu let him help her stand, but was alarmed when he lifted her in his arms. "Uta?!"

"You can stay for just a little longer," he argued. "And you can call Renji so he'll know where you are."

"A-alright." She knew that he was not about to take "no" for an answer. The female ghoul let him carry her back to HySy. Perching on a seat near to his desk, she stared down at her phone and pondered what she would say to Renji. She was still angry and more than a little hurt. She was slightly less upset with Uta now, since he actually confessed. "Was he…ever going to tell me?"

Uta looked up from sketching and raised an eyebrow. "Are you mad at him?"

The grip on her phone tightened. "I'm mad at both of you. I feel betrayed. But you told me. I don't know if he was ever going to tell me." She settled on typing a message to him, telling Renji that she would home later and that she was with Uta. _It's fine. At least I'm not keeping a secret from him. At least I'm not waiting ten years to tell him that I was hanging out with Uta today._

She tried to work on her carvings again and slowly settled into the task. It felt therapeutic to just focus on making the wooden blocks conform to a new shape. As she worked, she forced herself to think about the recipient of the figure and what they might like best. _A kitten for Kuroda. Of course, a sparrow for Sparrow. And for Phoenix…?_ Miyu frowned and closed her eyes, trying to imagine what sort of animal her niece might like.

Hearing footsteps cross the shop, she looked up from her work. "Are you closing for the day?"

"It's kind of late," he replied softly. He paused and turned to look back at her. "Are you going home? I can walk you there."

The young woman slouched a bit, lowering her gaze to the half-finished carving in her hand. "Isn't that kind of out of your way?" She knew that the twentieth ward was definitely out of his way. The art studio was his home. However, she brought this up for another reason. Miyu was not entirely sure that she wanted to go home yet. The thought of facing Renji so soon after learning of his betrayal was not a pleasant one.

His expression shifted from concern to something much harder to identify. "You don't want to go home, do you?"

Now that it was obvious, she felt her face burn with shame. Miyu shoved her supplies into her bag and stood. "N-no. Sorry. I just…I didn't want you to have to go out of your way to walk me home," she lied. "I can make it home safely. A-and I need to confront Renji anyway. And…I want to see Aki-nii's grave again before I go. I'm sorry."

She started for the door, keeping her head bowed to try to hide her embarrassment. _I'm a coward. I hate confrontation, but this needs to be done. I can't just hide._ Miyu was about to open the door when she felt his arms wrap around her from behind. Her breathing hitched as his lips brushed her ear. "Uta?"

"I don't want you to go home tonight," he whispered. Giving her a gentle squeeze, he felt her start to relax against his chest. He delicately traced his lips along the curve of her ear and felt her quiver. "You're still mad at him. You shouldn't confront him until you're feeling better, Miyu…you might hurt him."

Guilt made her frown and she bit her lip. The sensation of his warm, soft lips caressing her sensitive skin sent shockwaves of pleasure straight to her core. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to stab you. I just…reacted badly."

"It's okay. I like that side of you, too. The side that I don't get to see anymore. No matter what side you're showing, I always find something there that I like," he assured her.

"Is…is it really alright if I stay here tonight?" She felt him nod. "I'll leave first thing in the morning. I don't want to get in the way…and I don't want you to have to open later because I'm here." Miyu turned to look up at him and saw the amusement in his smile.

"What makes you think that you'd be in the way? I want you to stay as long as you can." Uta drew back a little as his smile turned sheepish. "I know it's a little selfish, but I like having you all to myself like this." He hugged her again, a bit tighter than before, and then left her to lock the door.

Miyu sent a message to Renji, telling him that she would be back the next day. When he asked if she was still with Uta, she was honest with him. She told him that she intended to stay the night at HySy and wanted to speak to him about something when she returned home.

She decided to sleep on the couch rather than in bed with her friend. As she lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, she tried to decide how to approach Renji in the morning. The last thing that Miyu wanted was to hurt him. She wanted to confront him about it in a calm, collected manner. _What would Aki-nii do? What would he say…if someone kept a secret from him for so long?_


	44. Chapter 43

NeonHorizon: Just a reminder that I write primarily love triangles, everyone. I like Renji and Uta. So I'll have scenes with both of them.

* * *

Miyu's eyes opened to fix upon the far wall, her mind trying to register what had happened. She had dozed off on the couch, by herself, but now she could feel a warm body beneath hers. Bare skin pressed against her cheek, her neon pink hair falling across her friend's chest and his arm wrapped around her waist.

A careful tilt of her head let her look up and she saw that Uta was still asleep, despite holding her so firmly against him. She frowned slightly, but moved closer. One leg was already draped over his and now her stomach pressed against his side. The female ghoul enjoyed the warmth radiating from his body. It was a good distraction and it was comforting.

It had been a while since she slept so close to him. Of course, a lot of things had changed. For one, they were no longer teenagers. The boy with the dyed blond hair was gone; replaced by this dark-haired man with tattoos. Miyu stared up at the inked words that went around his neck. She knew that they were in a foreign language. He had told her that before. She could not remember what they meant.

Her gaze slid downward from his face, skimming over his free arm and the designs that decorated it. Pausing when she came to the ink on his fingers, she had to resist the urge to touch them. Miyu's gaze roamed back up along his arm and finally rested on the sun tattoo that was on his chest. It was just inches away from her face, slightly obscured by strands of her vibrant pink hair.

 _Did those hurt? And how did he get them? I know that some ghouls have tattoos, but…it's different than when a human gets one, right? The tools must be different._ She half-closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, trying to withhold a sigh. His hold on her was comforting. It almost lulled her back to sleep, but she knew that it must be morning. Soon she would need to go home to confront Renji and Uta would need to open the studio for the day.

The young woman's eyes widened as her wrist was gently taken by his hand and her fingers were pressed against the sun tattoo on his chest. "Ah…y-you're awake?"

"You can touch me if you want to," he whispered. The arm around her waist tightened a little more. "You have such a cute look on your face right now. You look so afraid. Did I startle you?" He waited for her to tip her head back so that their eyes met and his lips curled into a smile.

Instantly, her face heated with a reddish hue and she forced her gaze elsewhere. "I-I'm sorry. I should have gotten out of the bed when I woke up. Um…and I think I might've sleep-walked."

"You're even cuter when you get flustered like this." He released her wrist in favor of running his fingers through her hair, watching the inked designs on his digits disappear into the sea of hot pink. "You looked cold so I moved you."

"Th-thank you." Miyu continued to blush, trying not to focus on the sensation of those warm, gentle fingers caressing her scalp with each run through her hair. "I…I should probably go. You need to open your shop and I-I should probably go to Anteiku. I'm pretty sure that I have a shift this afternoon, but I need to-"

Uta felt her squirm a little as she attempted to sit up, but pulled her back down against his chest. "I don't need to open right away. I have some time."

Her heart sped up as she felt him moving her on top of him. When she tried to lean up again, her soft hair fell forward and brushed against his chest. She stared down at him, trying to read his expression and determine what he was thinking. The red and black eyes that stared back at her half-closed and she saw his lips draw into a smile once more. "Uta…?"

"Hm?" Fingers trailed along her spine through her shirt and he felt her back arch, pushing her chest against his. He saw her face contort in pleasure and repeated the action. "I like to see the expressions that you make, even when I do something this small. You're so sensitive."

"I…I really do need to go," she tried to argue. _It's not that I don't appreciate everything that he's done for me. I just need to talk to Renji. And he's making it hard for me to concentrate._ Her eyes widened as she planted her hands on his chest and she skimmed over his bare skin. "Y-your back. Does it still hurt?" She remembered the way that her kagune had stabbed into him the previous afternoon and immediately felt panicked that he might be in pain.

Uta appeared a little taken aback by her sudden shift in attention, but was glad that she was still there. "I'm fine. I already healed." Maneuvering himself so that he sat up in the bed and she half-straddled his lap, he leaned down to her ear. "Were you worried about me?" he teased.

"I-I stabbed you…of course I was worried." Miyu's hands shifted to his shoulders as she tried to steady herself. "I'm sorry about that. Are you sure that you're alright? It doesn't hurt?"

"I'm fine. But if you want to make it up to me…why don't you spend the day with me? It's been a while, hasn't it? We usually have Itori or Renji with us." He drew back from her ear, a hand lifting to push her hair away from her face. "Are you hungry?"

Miyu soon found herself alone on the bed as he went to retrieve some food, pondering once again how she would approach Renji when she spoke to him. Sleep had done nothing to make her less upset. She was still angry that he had been keeping such important information from her. More than the anger, however, she was sad. She was hurt. Even though Uta had said that he kept the secret to try to protect her from the pain of losing her brother, she still felt wounded. _Ten years just makes it hurt worse_ , she thought to herself. _Ten years just amplifies it because now I feel like they thought I was too weak to handle it._

She shook her head and pushed herself to stand. Staying with Uta for the day would solve nothing; she needed to confront Renji and get it over with. As much as she enjoyed the dark-haired ghoul's company and as easy as it would be to just let him continue to distract her, this was something that needed to be done.

Uta returned with some meat, his smile fading when he saw her getting ready to leave. "What's wrong?"

"I…I need to go. I'm sorry. I just…need to…" Miyu felt heat rising to her cheeks as the man approached her, a hand reaching out to caress the side of her face. Subconsciously leaning into his touch, the female ghoul closed her eyes. "Thank you…for telling me the truth, Uta. At least now I know what happened. I can…make a decision about my niece's future."

"Do you really have to go?" His voice was close, lips skimming over her ear and his dark hair tickling at her shoulder and neck. "I've liked our time together."

"I-I'm sorry. I'll…p-probably see you again later this week, so-"

"Do you promise?" When she nodded, he drew away from her ear. "If you break your promise…can I punish you?" He saw her face turn bright red and he smiled sheepishly. Her eyes half-opened to meet his gaze and the man saw her subtly bite her lip. His hand moved beneath her chin, tipping her head up so their eyes met. "That's a nice expression," he mused. Closing the distance between them, his lips caressed hers and he felt her arms lift to go around his neck.

Miyu's pulse was rapid, almost painful. The fluttery sensation in her stomach and chest was increasing by the second and she was reminded of when she was a teenager. The nights they spent hunting together, with him helping to guide her. The night that she had her first time. The lips that were molding so perfectly against hers had pressed kisses along her legs, trailing upward to her core. Pressing her thighs together now, she broke the kiss and looked away. "I have to go. I'm sorry."

Though he was obviously a little disappointed, he kept a neutral expression. "It's alright. Later this week. Promise?"

"I promise."

 **Shift P.O.V**

It was mid-morning and he was still waiting for her to come home. Renji looked at his phone again, checking for a missed call or a message from Miyu that he might not have noticed. There was nothing. His eyes lifted from the screen, half-glaring at the door, and then turned his gaze to the bottle of fermented blood that was perched on the coffee table in front of him.

He had gone to Itori the previous afternoon and asked for it, planning an important evening with Miyu. His plan was to loosen himself up enough to talk about Hideaki's fate, but he wanted to remain sober enough to be remember it. The last thing that Renji wanted was a repeat of when he told her about her niece. He had consumed too much fermented blood and apparently told her, but could not remember the next morning so he had repeated himself. Repeating the details of her brother's death and burial were not something that he wanted. It would hurt her even worse than the initial explanation.

 _Uta killed him. I don't know what exactly happened, but I'm sure now that it wasn't the CCG._ Renji frowned and leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes. _Uta killed her brother._ _I know that he did it. There's just too much evidence. I just didn't want to believe it before. He was so close to her. I didn't want to think about him killing Hideaki and then…_ Renji heard the lock click and tensed as the door opened. His nose twitched slightly as he caught a scent that made his stomach drop. "Miyu."

She met his gaze when he turned to look at her and then quickly looked away. "Renji…we need to talk. About Aki-nii." Miyu lifted her right hand, revealing the bundle of flowers that he had most recently left on her brother's grave. Her fist clenched the bouquet tightly, her lips settled into a frown.

He moved before she could approach and took the flowers from her. Anger was starting to bubble up now, blending with the despair of knowing that this conversation was coming sooner than planned. Sooner than he could actually prepare himself. The worst part was that, as he stared down at the pink-haired ghoul, he could smell Uta's scent all over her. "Why didn't you come home last night? I waited for you."

Miyu took a step back, her cheeks turning almost as pink as her hair. "I…I wanted to take some time to cool off. Uta told me what happened. About the doves ten years ago. About how they killed my brother. I-I overreacted and…stabbed him with my kagune. I didn't want to hurt you, too."

Renji's frown deepened and he dropped the flowers. "He told you that it was doves?" It was taking a lot of control to not blurt out the truth. _Uta finally decided to tell her, but he's not willing to tell her the truth. I know that it wasn't the CCG. The hole in Hideaki's chest was too ragged to be from a quinque._ As much as he wanted to tell her, he could see it in her eyes that she was pained just from the half-truth. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against him. "I'm sorry."


	45. Chapter 44

NeonHorizon: Hooray for sleep deprivation. I hope this turned out okay. Next chapter will be kind of more mature.

* * *

There was a loud, wet thudding sound echoing from below in the alley. Accompanying it was the quiet voices of the three younger ghouls, falling into a heated argument. Miyu waited up above on the edge of a roof, keeping herself out of sight for the time being. When Yoshimura informed her that the three children had left Anteiku late at night, she knew she had to find them before the CCG did.

What Miyu had not anticipated was finding them in the middle of killing a CCG investigator. Why the man had been working alone, she did not know. They usually worked in pairs and she wondered if they might have been a rookie. Peering over the edge of the roof with narrowed eyes, she could see man's quinque lying on the ground beside his mangled corpse.

Sparrow's spiraling koukaku kagune drew out of the man's back as he seemed to be finished with taking out his aggression on the lifeless body. "Just eat, Kuroda-chan! We don't have a lot of time!"

"I just wanna go home! Touka-neechan is going to be mad at us if she finds out we went out tonight, you guys! She's going to tell Yomo-san and then-!"

"I'm not afraid of that guy," Phoenix interrupted. She drew her lighter from her messenger bag, along with a small soda bottle full of a clear liquid. "Just hurry up and eat, got it? We don't wanna leave much behind."

Kuroda began to eat and Sparrow tore open the man's shirt to give her better access to the meat. The little boy seemed agitated. "Just 'cause your aunt's married to him, doesn't mean he won't get mad at you, Phoenix-chan."

"They're not married." There was clear spite in her voice.

"They're basically married," Kuroda argued, her mouth dripping human blood. "You're gonna burn this one, too, right?"

Phoenix absently flicked her lighter in the darkness, briefly illuminating her pale face. "We've gotta burn 'em. My mom said if you kill a dove, you've gotta burn the remains so it's harder for the rest of 'em to identify. It's like a cleansing."

Miyu's kagune extended from her back and the points stabbed into the sides of the alley. She had put on her mask when she set out that night so the image of her coming down upon the three, wearing her spider mask, was rather intimidating. "What do you think you're doing?" she challenged, bracing just above them.

Kuroda's eyes widened and she ducked behind Sparrow, who was already moving behind Phoenix. "I-I-I'm sorry! Please forgive us! Phoenix-chan wanted to-!"

"Kuroda-chan!" Sparrow grimaced, but let her cling to him.

Phoenix did not move, but her eyes widened slightly at the sight of her aunt's imposing appearance. "What do you want, Spider?"

Miyu lowered herself until her feet touched the ground and let her kagune flare out around her, points facing the ground. She looked down at the corpse briefly before lifting her gaze back to the children. "You killed this man?" To her surprise, a pair of small, misshapen ukaku kagune tore through the back of the girl's shirt and twitched in the cold night air. _So much like Aki-nii's…_

"You wanna fight me?" the child challenged her.

"I don't want to fight…I want to keep you out of trouble," she replied. Since the day that the girl learned of Hideaki's death, Miyu had seen her becoming more and more bitter. "Killing strangers won't make you feel better."

"You don't know how I feel!"

"You think I didn't lose anyone?" Miyu's dark grey eyes fixed upon the girl's and she saw the lighter. She was wary of it and the gasoline in the bottle the child held in her other hand. Itori had told her why Akiko had been dubbed "Little Phoenix". When her mother died, she had started killing. Slaying so she could feed herself. She always burned the remains, like in a strange sort of mock-cremation.

"Sparrow-kun, back me up!"

"I'm not fighting the Pink Spider! Are you out of your mind?!" The little boy was now holding a crying Kuroda and looked to Miyu with a pleading expression on his face. "We didn't wanna do this, okay? It was _her_ idea!"

"Shut up! I'm in charge…and what I say goes! If we're gonna get revenge, we gotta start somewhere and we gotta send 'em a message," Phoenix continued.

 _I don't like this._ Unease made her stomach do flips. The child was taking a step toward her, holding the lighter tightly and flaring her kagune out at her sides in a silent warning. Miyu did not want to hurt the girl, but she could not let her continue to attack people recklessly. "Phoenix…don't do this."

"I said I'm gonna get revenge and I _mean_ it! I'm not gonna sit by and wait around like _you_ did! I'm gonna-!" She went silent, her eyes filling with rage as she stared past Miyu at a taller, imposing figure. "What do _you_ want? I'm not afraid of you! I'm not afraid of either of you!"

Miyu caught the familiar, reassuring scent of Renji and began to calm down. She moved aside to let him face the girl and continued to try to make the child calm. "Let's just…go back to the café and talk about this, okay?"

"I don't wanna talk! I wanna kill 'em! I wanna kill all of those monsters at the CCG!" Tears burned in the child's eyes as she took another step forward. She wiped at them with the hem of her sleeve and she began to tremble. "They took my parents! Why'd they have to take both of them?! They didn't even do anything!"

The pink-haired ghoul's nose twitched as she caught another scent and soon saw Uta appearing at the end of the alley. He was quietly approaching the other two children, who seemed overjoyed to see him. Kuroda eagerly clung to the man's sleeve and cried as Sparrow frantically tried to explain himself. _They…really look up to us, don't they?_

"I'll take these two back to Anteiku," Uta called softly. He had lifted Kuroda onto his back, his sleeve being held by Sparrow now as the little boy sniffled.

"We'll be there soon," Renji replied. He kept his gaze on Phoenix as the little girl stomped a boot against the ground, her kagune flexing behind her. He had heard Uta describe her kagune as being identical to Hideaki's and now he was seeing why Hideaki had had such a tough time fighting. The kagune were very small for being an ukaku type and shaped in a crude, curling sort of way.

Miyu watched him approach the child and winced when the little girl attacked him. "Phoenix-!"

"It's fine." Renji simply frowned down at the young ghoul as she stumbled back, clearly confused after he let her hurt him. "Phoenix, you need to go back."

"I…I deserve my revenge! You don't _understand_! You couldn't-!"

"Phoenix." He reached out, gripping her shoulder and meeting her eyes. The kid's tears were falling now, dripping on the pavement at her feet. She seemed to see something in his gaze that changed her mind and she gave a small nod.

The walk back to the café was made in silence with the little girl being carried on Renji's back. Miyu tucked her mask away into her pocket, casting casual glances over at the two every so often. Something about seeing him carry the child so carefully sparked something odd in her. It made her heart and stomach feel fluttery and she knew that she was blushing.

Miyu could smell blood and knew that her niece had managed to actually hurt him. Guilt made her bow her head, her hands tucked into her pockets. _It's my fault. I should have been able to stop them before it escalated to that. I didn't find them until they had killed that man, but I should have had a feeling that they were going to do something like this._ Frowning, she glanced to her niece.

The child's tears had dried on her cheeks, her face turned to the side and leaning against the back of Renji's shoulder. She had apparently worn herself out because she was now asleep. Miyu reached over to push her dark hair away from her face, her frown deepening. "Thank you for coming," she said, looking to Renji again. "I…don't know what I would have done if you hadn't showed up. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that I was doing this…but I was embarrassed. How did you know where I was?"

He bowed his head and frowned as well. "…I caught your scent on my way home…" Renji paused in his words and adjusted his hold on the child. "Uta was already nearby."

The children were settled back into their room above Anteiku and Miyu began the walk home with Renji. _I need to have a talk with Phoenix tomorrow after my shift_ , she determined. _What can I say to her though? I know what that anger feels like. I know what it feels like to hate humans._ She vividly remembered attacking doves when she was younger. One time in particular stood out to her. Renji had been fighting some doves in the fourth ward and she had been so worried about him that she launched into the fight without thinking.

Upon reaching the apartment, she was immediately concerned about Renji's wound. She insisted on checking it. Miyu made him sit on the couch and remove his shirt, wincing when she saw the damage. Her niece's kagune had left a puncture wound to his chest, on the right side of his abdomen. "Does it…hurt?" she questioned. She settled on her knees on the floor in front of him so she could get a closer look.

"It's fine." He saw the worry in her gaze and frowned. Lifting her chin, he made her eyes meet his. Warmth was blooming in her cheeks, nearly matching the flushed hue of her hair. The man closed the distance between them, his lips meeting hers gently at first and then moving against them hungrily. His free hand threaded through her hair, earning him a pleased hum against his lips.

Miyu felt a tension forming in her, heat growing in her core and spreading throughout her body. She carefully put her arms around him, leaning up into the kiss more and letting her soft chest press against his toned one. The hand beneath her chin left, settling firmly at the ghoul's lower back to keep her body pinned to his.

Feeling a wetness through her shirt, she remembered his injury and gently pulled away. "You're…still bleeding," she murmured, looking at the wound. "I'll be back."

He watched her go and released a quiet sigh, letting his head rest back against the cushions. His injury was aching a little, but his attention was elsewhere. More than tending to the puncture wound, he wanted something else. Renji sat there for a moment longer, listening to her rummage around in the bathroom for the bandages, and he finally decided to take action.

Miyu was looking through the cupboard in the bathroom, becoming frustrated with her search. Tears of guilt were burning at the corners of her eyes, remembering how deep the wound looked. Her back was to the door so when she felt arms wrap around her from behind, she tensed and released a quiet yelp. "Ah…R-Renji…? Are you okay?"

The man leaned down, his face burying in the side of her neck as his hips pressed against hers. "Just…skip it for now."


	46. Chapter 45

"That kid's pretty vicious. I mean, _you_ were pretty bad when you were a teenager, but _she's_ only ten, right?" Itori refilled his glass of water, eager to hear more.

"She's vicious," he agreed. Looking down at the glass in front of him, Uta's lips curved into a slight frown. "She reminds me of Miyu."

Itori seemed confused for a moment before she smiled. "Like that time she went after those doves that were attacking Ren-chan, right? She just swooped down there and started killing them!"

He nodded. "Phoenix wants revenge." The male ghoul felt guilt resurfacing again. It had been lucky that he happened to be in the area and catch Miyu's scent. He had tracked her to that alley, not quite sure what to expect. Somehow, he had a feeling that Phoenix would have attacked Miyu if he and Renji had not appeared.

The other two children had told him what Phoenix was planning. She had tracked the man's scent and ambushed him with those tiny, wing-like kagune. She had gone out that night with the intent to take down every dove that she could. All in the name of avenging her parents.

"Phoenix-chan leads those other two kids around, doesn't she? She's kind of like you. She's the strongest out of those kids so she's their leader." The woman poured herself some blood and swirled the glass a little. "Hey. Why do you look so deep in thought? What are you thinking about, U-chan?"

Itori was good at keeping secrets unless someone paid a good price for them. What he was about to say would not only cost someone highly, but he knew that it would be worth a lot to her. "I killed Aki."

The female ghoul stared across the counter at him for a moment, eyes widening. "You _what_? No way. He was killed by doves."

"He came back to the fourth ward…and he planned to take Miyu back with him. I didn't know he was starving when I attacked him. I thought he would dodge my attack, but he…" Uta turned his face to the side, the long dark hair on the right side of his head falling forward over his eye. "I didn't mean to kill him."

"Are you serious?! U-chan! When did you do it?"

"It was a little before Renji showed up. I never told anyone because…"

"It would totally crush Kuro-chan! I can't believe you kept this a secret from me though! Does Ren-chan know?"

"I think he might have a feeling," he replied sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

She grimaced and shook her head. "Seriously. Okay, well, you probably don't want Kuro-chan to know, right? I mean, _I_ won't tell her. This isn't something for me to tell her. I just can't believe you kept this a secret from me!"

"I'm sorry." Uta pushed his hair behind her ear and lifted his glass to take a sip of water. "Itori…what should I do?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

Miyu woke to a pleasant warmth against her back as well as an arm wrapped around her waist. She closed her eyes again, content that he was still there. Turning to face him, she nuzzled against his chest and put her arms around his neck. "…Renji…?"

"You're awake?" He felt her nod. "I didn't want to wake you up." Turning onto his back, he brought her with him so she was lying on top. Locks of vibrant pink hair fell forward over her shoulders, brushing gently over his neck and cheek when she leaned down. "You…don't have work today, do you?"

"No." Miyu felt his hands move to her hips, holding her in place as her hands rested on his chest. "Renji? Did you want to do something today?"

Frowning slightly, he leaned up and brought his lips to hers. He felt her slender, delicate fingers trace over his bare chest and groaned quietly into the kiss. When they broke contact, he shifted his eyes from hers. "I just…want to spend the day with you," he murmured.

Her pulse quickened, feeling his hips push up against her. Their intimate moment the night before had been cut short when his puncture wound started to gush blood. Now, as she looked down at the bandage, she was sure that he had healed. Grinding her hips down on him, she felt his warm flesh rub against hers and she felt a rush of heat to her core.

Miyu leaned down, burying her face in the side of his neck as she felt one of his hands push between them. "J-just…be careful. You're still healing, Renji."

The pale-haired ghoul pressed into her, easing in with caution. When he was sheathed in her, he lay still for a moment as she adjusted. One hand held her hip as the other ran along her back in reassurance. "Tell me if it hurts."

She nodded a confirmation and let her hands wander up his body from his chest. Trailing her fingers through his hair, she found reassurance in the soft groan that he released. The woman nuzzled her cheek against his warm skin and shakily inhaled, letting his scent further soothe her.

His movements were careful, slow. He gradually drew out a little and then pushed back in, earning a quiet moan from her. Renji's hold on her hip tightened and he repeated the action. He could feel her kissing along his neck, trying to muffle her sounds against his skin. Speeding up little by little, he brought his lips to the side of her neck and began copying her. She pulled away a little, a soft whimper leaving her as her hips snapped down against his.

Miyu felt the tension building in her core as he continued to thrust his hips into hers. Each time he entered, it sent her closer and closer to the edge. The female ghoul's thighs squeezed his hips tightly as she felt herself reach it. Muscles clenched and she felt a rush of warm arousal coat his member, allowing him to go faster. Her nails shallowly dug at his shoulders as her hands moved down from his hair and she gasped, feeling him strike deeper.

The man's eyes were closed now. He focused on her scent, the way that her opening gripped onto him, and the wave of warmth that had coated his most sensitive flesh. His hips lifted, hammering up and into hers. A sharp moan left her lips and he knew that she had enjoyed it. He repeated it again and again, trying to bring her to another climax before he could reach his.

She bit her lower lip, trying her best to be quiet. He was not making it easy for her. The tension was swiftly building again and when she felt his hand push between them, she gasped. Fingertips brushed a sensitive spot above her slit and began to rub tenderly. Her hips grinded down against his hand, her face flushing red with embarrassment. The combination of that stimulation with his hips pounding into hers soon had her climaxing once more. She fell limp against his chest as her muscles continued to squeeze down on him.

When he felt his own release approaching, he moved both hands to her hips. As he felt himself come undone, he lifted her off of him and spilled onto his own skin. Renji caught the puzzle look on her face and turned his head to the side, frowning. He ran a hand through his pale hair and pushed himself to sit up. "Miyu…"

"I…I'm sorry."

"I just…we haven't talked about it. Kids. I don't want to risk that until we've talked about it and we're ready." He saw her nod, but he still felt guilty about withdrawing from her. "Miyu…"

"I understand. You're…right." She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and sat beside him. "So…you wanted to spend the day together?"

"If you don't have plans. We haven't had a day together in a while." Renji was the first to get out of bed and took her hand. "Come with me."

Despite being together for so long, she still found herself blushing at the sight of him. "A-alright." She let him lead the way to the bathroom and stood near the door as he started a bath. They both cleaned off before slipping into the warm, soapy water. Resting against his chest in the tub, she released a content sigh.

His arms wrapped around her waist, enjoying the female ghoul's body against his. "How do you feel?" he murmured.

Miyu smiled, bowing her head. "I-I feel good," she confessed. "How do you feel? That didn't reopen your wound…?" She turned and realized that he had actually removed the bandage. There was no sign that he had ever been injured. Nonetheless, she twisted in the bath to face him and kissed the spot where he had been hurt.

"I'm fine." Renji averted his eyes, almost appearing uncomfortable with her worrying about the wound. "Miyu…I wanted to spend the day with you. But we should go to Anteiku."

She instantly knew why he said this and she frowned. "I…I know. I'm sorry about last night. I should have been able to stop her before-"

"I'm alright," he persisted. "You need to make sure that she's alright."

The young woman gave a single nod and bowed her head. "She shouldn't have gone out by herself. I don't know what she was thinking. That dove could have killed her. She…was so lucky that he was alone."

Renji lifted her chin, bringing her face close to his. "Miyu…do you want to have children?"

Her pulse quickened. "Ah. Um…I-I'm not sure. I don't have a lot of experience with taking care of children so I don't know. D-do you want children?"

Frowning, he lifted his other hand and let his fingers trail through her soft pink hair. "I…don't think it would be fair to them. Not with the world the way that it is," he admitted. "I'm sorry, Miyu."

Unfortunately, she knew that he was right. The world could be cruel. Especially toward ghouls. It would be a struggle to try to raise a baby in a world that was so against them. The child would see the world's coldness too soon in life. No matter how much love they gave the child, they would always know that they were despised by humans.

"You're right, though. Renji…you're absolutely right. It's difficult…even when you're young. I wouldn't want them to have to go through the same things that we did." Miyu's chin was released and she put her arms around him, bringing her chest against his.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Renji…last night when you helped me with those kids…I saw how well you did with Phoenix. I want to help her. I want to help her through her grief and I want to make sure that she stays safe. Can you help me?"

He nodded and held her close. It really was unfortunate. In another life, they might be able to have their own children and raise them without problems. Like humans. They were ghouls, though. It would be cruel to bring a child into the world and make them go through what they had gone through.


	47. Chapter 46

NeonHorizon: I wrote this during a storm because inspiration. And "inspiration" is the word of the day. I really enjoyed writing this chapter.

* * *

The first design was slowly coming together. It had taken a few attempts with plenty of ideas scrapped. He finally thought that this one would work. Setting it aside, he gave it a glance over before he began sketching the second mask. He wanted to keep the set of three similar, while also adding differences. It was a bit of a challenge, but he was excited about the end result.

The air in the studio was suddenly filled with the scent of rain, as well as a cool breeze, as the door opened. Uta lifted his gaze for a moment before looking down at his project once more. A half-smile curled his lips and he continued his work. "Just browsing…?"

"I just…needed some inspiration. For some carvings." Miyu walked along one wall, inspecting the masks that were on display there.

Uta looked toward her again and frowned. Her long pink hair was damp and she was faintly shivering from the cold outside. He set his sketchbook aside and went to the back to retrieve a towel. She jumped a little when he approached and began rubbing the towel over her hair, but quickly relaxed.

His chest against her back, he could feel the warmth of her skin through her shirt and it sent his heart beating faster. The rain always reminded him of those days when they were teenagers; hunting doves in the rain and going back to her house afterwards. "Where's Renji today?"

"He's…helping Yoshimura-san with something today." She paused as he finished up and then turned to face him. "I got a request from a gallery…for some wooden carvings. They asked for something eye-catching and…I wasn't sure what to do so I thought…"

"It's good inspiration to walk around," he agreed. Smiling, he went to put the towel away. "You can stay as long as you want. I don't mind."

"Thank you." Miyu went back to looking at the masks, nervously fidgeting with the strap of her bag.

Uta returned from the back and went to his desk, eyes fixed on the female ghoul as she wandered along the line of masks. The smell of rain lingered in the air and he was tempted to ask if she wanted to go for a walk together, but he hesitated. It was not very often that they got to be alone. It was even less often that he got to see her this way; contemplative, frustrated. Clearly, she was having trouble thinking of what sort of carvings to make.

She made it to the end and finally walked over to where Uta was attempting to get back to his project. "Ah. S-sorry…am I interrupting?"

"No." He smiled again and turned toward her. "Actually…can I get your opinion on this design?"

Miyu lingered a few feet away for a moment, but soon ventured closer. She accepted the first mask design from him and skimmed it. "Um…this is…?"

"It's for a set of three," he replied. "I want them to be similar, but with little differences. This is the phoenix design."

Her dark grey eyes widened upon hearing this. "You're…making these for the kids?" she asked. Looking over the sketch again, she saw the swooping lines and the little notes indicating the colors to be used.

Uta nodded and ran a hand over the shorter hair on the left side of his head. "Since they went out the other night…I thought they should have masks. In case it happens again. Is that alright?"

"It's…very kind of you." Her face flushed slightly and she handed the drawing back to him. "It looks beautiful."

Smiling, he set it aside. "I'm glad that you like it. I was worried that you might think it was too much."

 **Shift P.O.V**

She fidgeted with the strap of her bag, turning her face to the side. "Ah…I should probably leave. I'm stopping you from getting work done. And I need to start making designs for the pieces for the gallery."

Uta tilted his head, red and black eyes fixed upon her face. "I could take a break. Do you want to go for a walk? We could both try to get some inspiration."

"But you'd have to close your shop…I don't want to make you do that."

"I don't mind." He stood and stretched a little. "It's not good to stay in all day. Besides, I like the rain. It feels nostalgic."

Miyu waited near the desk as he went to get a coat and umbrella. Bowing her head, she looked at the phoenix mask again. It really did look beautiful. It was just a partial mask, but the lines were elegant and gave it a flowing, fiery sort of feel. _It's so thoughtful. And I know that Phoenix will love this._

The two ghouls set off into the cold, rainy city. She walked close beside him, both of them sharing the same umbrella. In the fourth ward, the only inspiration she could really draw from was the violence and cannibalism so they made their way to the next ward in hopes of finding something better.

"What kind of theme does the gallery want?" Uta finally asked.

"They didn't say. They just wanted something eye-catching. So…it's really up to me to decide what kind of emotion I want the pieces to spark." Miyu felt an arm go around her shoulders, pulling her closer against his warm side. She blushed faintly and bit her lower lip. _What kind of emotion? I want it to be different from anything else they've seen. I want it to strike something in them._

Uta looked down and saw the frustration in her eyes. "Do you want to visit the gallery and see what else is there? That might help you decide what would stand out best."

"Ah. Y-yeah, you're right. You don't mind?"

"I don't mind. I closed the shop; I can be gone as long as I want." He smiled as they started walking toward the station to catch a train. "I like spending time with you like this, Miyu."

The ride to the gallery was moderately fast. As soon as they entered, Miyu felt her heart start to race. The gallery was full of a variety of different pieces in various mediums; sculptures of clay, sculptures made from sticks, paintings in watercolor or acrylic, a collection of blown glass forms, and even a strange photography area. _I need to stand out in all of this?!_

The male ghoul placed a warm hand on her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "Are you worried?" He saw her nod, the color draining from her face. "Don't worry." His arms wrapped around her and he felt her small, delicate hands against his back. "It's okay. We'll look at everything and you can start sketching, alright?"

She gave another nod, but the slight amount of confidence that she had felt was quickly evaporating. _How am I supposed to make my pieces eye-catching in all of this? Everyone else's pieces look so…different._

Uta walked alongside her as they began wandering through the art gallery. "These are all different, but…don't you feel like they're kind of the same?"

"What do you mean? There are so many different mediums here…"

He reached up, fidgeting for a moment with his lip piercing as he considered his next words. "The emotion. The themes. They all feel…like they're trying to do something, don't they? They're trying to convey an idea."

It slowly dawned on her and she frowned. "…happiness…?"

The man raised an eyebrow at this and looked at the painting she was facing. "Is that how you see it? I was going to say they're trying to convey warmth in togetherness. The colors are mostly warm, aren't they? None of the paintings have much blue other than the sky and they focus on warmth. They have shapes gathered together. It's like…"

"Family. Unity." Miyu nodded now, understanding what he meant.

"Happiness in togetherness," he summed it up. "So to be really eye-catching, you would want something in cool colors that could make them think of being alone, right? But maybe not so different from the rest of the gallery. You want to stand out, but you don't want it to be so different that they can't use it."

"You're right." As puzzling as it was, at least now Miyu knew what direction to take. "Thank you for helping me."

An arm went around her from behind, lips briefly pressing against the top of her head. When Uta's face drew away, the woman tilted her head back to look up at him and saw a sheepish smile forming. "I like helping another artist…"

Miyu blushed and quickly looked off to the side. "I…should probably go home when we're done here." She tried not to think about the warmth of his chest against her back or the pleasant scent of blood and coffee that lingered around him. Taking a step forward and out of his hold, she started walking to the next art piece on display.

Uta followed, slightly confused by her sudden sense of urgency. However, he also appeared slightly worried about something. It was not obvious to him, but Miyu had seen a certain emotion in her eyes that she had not seen in a while. Guilt. Remorse. He had not done anything lately to warrant those emotions, but she had seen it when they fought as teenagers.

She stood before a series of glass-blown animals and saw Uta standing beside her from the corner of her eye. _I don't know what's bothering him, but I wish that he would say something. I get worried when he acts differently._

He gradually reached his hand over to take hers, feeling her chilled fingers give beneath his will and lace with his own fingers. Uta smiled faintly and began to lead her away from the display. She followed, but voiced her puzzlement. "There's a café here. We should get some coffee before we leave."

"Ah…alright." She sat at a table near the window with him, letting the man order for both of them when a waiter came by. Her eyes were on the rain outside, watching the drops hit the pavement. It was not the gentle rain that they had navigated through earlier that day. This was a hard, unrelenting storm now.

"What's wrong?" Uta reached across the table, placing a hand over hers. His thumb gently rubbed over the back of her knuckles, his head tilted curiously.

"Just…the storm. It's a long way back to the fourth ward from here," she replied. Frowning to herself, she struggled with her next decision _. Renji will be home soon. He and Uta are still friends._ Her stomach twisted in knots as she typed a quick message to Renji and she relaxed when she got a reply. "Do you…want to come to the apartment until the storm dies down?"

"Hm? Is Renji home?"

"Yes. He said that he just got back…and he got some food." Miyu felt slightly better about asking him now that she knew Renji was alright with it. Still, there was an odd, nagging feeling that something was a bit strange.

Uta smiled and leaned toward her. "What if it storms all day? Can I stay the night?" He saw her face turn red and he shook his head. "Miyu…you're so fun to tease. I was joking."


End file.
